Former US President Donald Trump has issued a stern directive demanding all air traffic controllers who have been absent during the ongoing government shutdown return to work immediately. The dramatic announcement comes as flight disruptions continue to plague American air travel due to staffing shortages and government-imposed flight cuts.
Trump's Ultimatum to Air Traffic Staff
In a strongly worded post on his Truth Social platform, Trump declared that all air traffic controllers must resume work immediately, threatening substantial pay docking for those who fail to comply. "All Air Traffic Controllers must get back to work, NOW!!! Anyone who doesn't will be substantially 'docked'," the former president stated.
Simultaneously, Trump praised workers who continued reporting for duty during the 41-day shutdown, announcing he would recommend a $10,000 bonus per person for what he called their "distinguished service" to the country. He described these employees as "great patriots" who didn't take any time off during what he termed the "Democrat Shutdown Hoax."
Contractual Uncertainties and Staffing Crisis
However, officials immediately raised questions about the feasibility of Trump's proposals. According to reports, there's no clarity under the controllers' union contract regarding how pay docking could be implemented or what source would fund the proposed $10,000 bonuses.
The staffing situation has reached critical levels, with Federal Aviation Administration chief Bryan Bedford revealing last week that 20-40% of controllers were absent on any given day at the 30 largest airports since the shutdown began. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the situation worsened over the weekend, with Saturday marking the worst single staffing day since the shutdown commenced.
Flight Disruptions Worsen
The staffing crisis has directly impacted air travel across the United States. On Monday alone, airlines cancelled 1,700 US flights, with numbers expected to worsen throughout the week. Flight tracking service FlightAware reported that by 11:30 am ET on Monday, 3,480 flights were delayed, following Sunday's massive disruptions that saw 2,950 flights cancelled and nearly 11,200 delayed - making it the worst day for flight problems since the government shutdown began on October 1.
The situation is set to deteriorate further as the FAA has mandated flight cuts that are scheduled to increase to 10% by Friday, potentially creating more travel chaos for passengers.
Trump's Hardline Stance on Absentees
Trump didn't mince words when addressing controllers who took time off during the shutdown, expressing his displeasure with those he accused of "complaining" despite knowing they would eventually receive full payment. He warned that they would have "a negative mark, at least in my mind, against your record."
In perhaps his most controversial statement, Trump welcomed resignations from absentee staff, declaring they would receive no payment or severance if they chose to leave. "You will be quickly replaced by true Patriots, who will do a better job on the Brand New State of the Art Equipment, the best in the World, that we are in the process of ordering," he asserted.
The ongoing crisis highlights the severe impact of the prolonged government shutdown on critical aviation infrastructure, with no immediate resolution in sight as political tensions continue to dominate the discourse around the funding impasse.
