The Transportation Secretary says air traffic controllers will be paid promptly as the government reopens. But after the last shutdown, in 2019, some controllers sued to get paid in full for overtime.
Airlines and aviation regulators warned that flight disruptions are likely to continue even after the government reopens. Thousands of flights have been cancelled as air traffic restrictions ramp up.
The purpose of the reduction of flights is to keep air space safer. Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is the busiest in the world and is one of the "Core 30" airports in the country.
The government shutdown is taking a growing toll on air traffic controllers who are working without pay. Staffing shortages led to big delays over the weekend, raising concerns about travel chaos.
Air traffic controllers in Atlanta handed out leaflets to passengers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Tuesday explaining the effects the government shutdown has on them.
A shortage of air traffic controllers may have played a role in ending the last government shutdown in 2019. U.S airlines are once again bracing for possible delays in commercial aviation.
Former and current U.S. air traffic controllers say the Trump administration's focus on new equipment doesn't address problems like grueling schedules and stagnating pay that are hurting morale.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy praised airport officials, unions and workers for completing the estimated 60-day project 13 days early. The Newark airport has been hobbled by delays.
At a Senate hearing, aviation experts testified that a shortage of air traffic controllers is leading to fatigue and distraction, likely contributing to a series of close calls on runways this year.
