This example can’t fly.
The security of each American plane passenger is being imperiled as the federal government shutdown drags into its second week, irate air traffic controllers say.
Greater than 14,000 controllers employed by the Federal Aviation Administration won’t be paid until the shutdown ends — and the stress is impacting their ability to avert aviation catastrophes.
Two controllers who spoke to The Post on the condition of anonymity described a situation that’s becoming more dangerous by the day, telling travelers to take heed.
“The financial anxiety doesn’t just hurt morale; it directly affects safety,” one controller in South Carolina declared. “When someone accountable for hundreds of lives a day is worrying about whether or not they will pay rent or feed their kids, focus suffers. Sometimes that small moment where your mind is elsewhere can have serious impacts.”
Air traffic control has been within the highlight this 12 months, following the January plane and helicopter collision that killed 67 people in Washington, DC, in addition to the hundreds of radar and communications outages which have spooked officials, lawmakers and passengers.
“Controllers were already underwater with pay and staffing before the shutdown,” the South Carolina controller explained. “Now we’re drowning.”
A second controller, working in California, warned: “The shutdown is affecting each person traveling in the USA right now. More stress equals more risk; that’s just basic common sense.”
For the reason that shutdown went into effect Oct. 1, plane passengers have faced lengthy delays at airports as unpaid employees call out sick. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said some air traffic control towers have seen a shocking 50% reduction in staffing.
On Monday, Hollywood Burbank Airport, outside Los Angeles, was without an air traffic controller in its tower for greater than five hours on account of staffing issues. Meanwhile, travel chaos erupted at Nashville airport Tuesday after a shortage of air traffic controllers caused almost 300 planes to be delayed.
Additional time exhaustion
Those that are showing up for work are clocking obscene amounts of extra time — meaning they’re exhausted while performing a job that requires constant concentration and the power to make quick decisions with life-or-death consequences.
“I’ve logged 185 hours of extra time [this year],” the California controller confessed. “Last 12 months, I exceeded 400 hours, however the toll on my mental and physical health led me to cut back this 12 months.
“What passengers often forget is that the person guiding their plane through the sky is human: underpaid, overworked, fatigued and carrying immense responsibility,” he added. “Beyond the control room, the exhaustion continues — recovering from 60-hour workweeks leaves little time for exercise, chores or family.”
Making things worse: those that depend on extra time fear they’ll never be compensated for it once the shutdown ends.
“Throughout the 2018–2019 government shutdown, controllers needed to sue for extra time pay we never received,” the controller said, claiming, “Only now, six years later, are a few of those settlement checks finally arriving.”
Living paycheck to paycheck
Except for the extra time uncertainty, Duffy said the pay delays prompted by the shutdown have some air traffic controllers wondering whether to choose up a second job to make ends meet.
“Now, what they consider as they’re controlling our airspace is, ‘How am I going to pay my mortgage? Do I actually have to take a second job and drive Uber after I’m already exhausted from doing a job that’s already stressful?’ ” Duffy said Monday.
But in line with the controllers who spoke with The Post, many within the industry have been working second jobs for a very long time.
“The shutdown didn’t create the issue; it magnified one which’s been growing for years,” the South Carolina controller asserted. “Most controllers outside the most important facilities reside paycheck to paycheck. Many have taken second jobs or side hustles that distract them at work simply to cover rising costs.”
The daddy of three — who has worked with the FAA for greater than a decade — admitted that he had also taken on additional work to complement his income and supply for his family.
In keeping with the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for an air traffic controller is $144,580 per 12 months. The South Carolina controller makes lower than that and said those “at smaller facilities make under $95,000, which is barely middle class in most cities today.”
With the shutdown showing no signs of ending, the situation is looking dire. FAA employees are scheduled to receive a partial paycheck Oct. 14 and a “zero” paycheck — or none — Oct. 28.
While the situation may prompt the general public to reconsider air travel until the federal government reopens, the controllers insist they’re doing every little thing they’ll to maintain fliers out of harm’s way.
“The one reason the system still functions is since the people on the mike refuse to fail,” the South Carolina controller said. “But that commitment comes at a private cost to our mental and physical health that keeps getting higher.”
“We meet the usual each day, but that’s not the bar we ought to be shooting for,” the California controller concurred. “Nobody should must live this fashion.”
This example can’t fly.
The security of each American plane passenger is being imperiled as the federal government shutdown drags into its second week, irate air traffic controllers say.
Greater than 14,000 controllers employed by the Federal Aviation Administration won’t be paid until the shutdown ends — and the stress is impacting their ability to avert aviation catastrophes.
Two controllers who spoke to The Post on the condition of anonymity described a situation that’s becoming more dangerous by the day, telling travelers to take heed.
“The financial anxiety doesn’t just hurt morale; it directly affects safety,” one controller in South Carolina declared. “When someone accountable for hundreds of lives a day is worrying about whether or not they will pay rent or feed their kids, focus suffers. Sometimes that small moment where your mind is elsewhere can have serious impacts.”
Air traffic control has been within the highlight this 12 months, following the January plane and helicopter collision that killed 67 people in Washington, DC, in addition to the hundreds of radar and communications outages which have spooked officials, lawmakers and passengers.
“Controllers were already underwater with pay and staffing before the shutdown,” the South Carolina controller explained. “Now we’re drowning.”
A second controller, working in California, warned: “The shutdown is affecting each person traveling in the USA right now. More stress equals more risk; that’s just basic common sense.”
For the reason that shutdown went into effect Oct. 1, plane passengers have faced lengthy delays at airports as unpaid employees call out sick. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said some air traffic control towers have seen a shocking 50% reduction in staffing.
On Monday, Hollywood Burbank Airport, outside Los Angeles, was without an air traffic controller in its tower for greater than five hours on account of staffing issues. Meanwhile, travel chaos erupted at Nashville airport Tuesday after a shortage of air traffic controllers caused almost 300 planes to be delayed.
Additional time exhaustion
Those that are showing up for work are clocking obscene amounts of extra time — meaning they’re exhausted while performing a job that requires constant concentration and the power to make quick decisions with life-or-death consequences.
“I’ve logged 185 hours of extra time [this year],” the California controller confessed. “Last 12 months, I exceeded 400 hours, however the toll on my mental and physical health led me to cut back this 12 months.
“What passengers often forget is that the person guiding their plane through the sky is human: underpaid, overworked, fatigued and carrying immense responsibility,” he added. “Beyond the control room, the exhaustion continues — recovering from 60-hour workweeks leaves little time for exercise, chores or family.”
Making things worse: those that depend on extra time fear they’ll never be compensated for it once the shutdown ends.
“Throughout the 2018–2019 government shutdown, controllers needed to sue for extra time pay we never received,” the controller said, claiming, “Only now, six years later, are a few of those settlement checks finally arriving.”
Living paycheck to paycheck
Except for the extra time uncertainty, Duffy said the pay delays prompted by the shutdown have some air traffic controllers wondering whether to choose up a second job to make ends meet.
“Now, what they consider as they’re controlling our airspace is, ‘How am I going to pay my mortgage? Do I actually have to take a second job and drive Uber after I’m already exhausted from doing a job that’s already stressful?’ ” Duffy said Monday.
But in line with the controllers who spoke with The Post, many within the industry have been working second jobs for a very long time.
“The shutdown didn’t create the issue; it magnified one which’s been growing for years,” the South Carolina controller asserted. “Most controllers outside the most important facilities reside paycheck to paycheck. Many have taken second jobs or side hustles that distract them at work simply to cover rising costs.”
The daddy of three — who has worked with the FAA for greater than a decade — admitted that he had also taken on additional work to complement his income and supply for his family.
In keeping with the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for an air traffic controller is $144,580 per 12 months. The South Carolina controller makes lower than that and said those “at smaller facilities make under $95,000, which is barely middle class in most cities today.”
With the shutdown showing no signs of ending, the situation is looking dire. FAA employees are scheduled to receive a partial paycheck Oct. 14 and a “zero” paycheck — or none — Oct. 28.
While the situation may prompt the general public to reconsider air travel until the federal government reopens, the controllers insist they’re doing every little thing they’ll to maintain fliers out of harm’s way.
“The one reason the system still functions is since the people on the mike refuse to fail,” the South Carolina controller said. “But that commitment comes at a private cost to our mental and physical health that keeps getting higher.”
“We meet the usual each day, but that’s not the bar we ought to be shooting for,” the California controller concurred. “Nobody should must live this fashion.”
