13,000 air traffic controllers go unpaid Tuesday as government shutdown nears historic length

Tuesday was the first day for air traffic controllers where they will not receive a paycheck because of the governing body shutdown which is now nearing a month long It s also just one week from exceeding the longest shutdown in ruling body history which occurred in late and into early Related stories Isolated flight delays may spread as air traffic controllers go without pay during shutdown Flight disruptions continue as air traffic controllers brace for their first full missing paychecks Executive shutdown on track to become longest in history Executive shutdown continues to add to stress on air traffic controllers and disrupt flights While the planes continue to fly airlines safety experts regime representatives and passengers believe delays are going to worsen as more controllers opt to call in sick instead of working At Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Claire Murray was traveling to Wilmington North Carolina and noted she has a blunt message to Congress and the White House These people need to be paid They need time off and yes I was really worried because I planned my trip a year ago Murray commented Her flights were delayed numerous times because of air traffic control-related delays Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association Nick Daniels as well as the union representing the controllers disclosed they are becoming increasingly concerned that the number of flight delays will increase as more controllers call in sick and there are not enough controllers to operate the control towers radar facilities and other equipment that is critical to keeping planes separate and passengers safe Duffy and Daniels have continued to emphasize the pressure that controllers are feeling They announced the problems are likely to only get worse the longer the shutdown continues Air traffic controllers have to have of focus of the time Daniels revealed Tuesday at a news conference at LaGuardia Airport in New York And I m watching air traffic controllers going to work I m getting the stories They re worried about paying for medicine for their daughter I got a message from a controller that reported I m running out of money And if she doesn t get the medicine she demands she dies That s the end You ve heard the stories of controllers working at Uber or DoorDash or a controller who might go to a food bank to help make ends meet Duffy commented standing alongside Daniels I desired you to have a chance to see a insufficient of the men and women who aren t getting paid in the current era Duffy commented Monday I had a controller who talked to me about his -year-old daughter who made the progress volleyball company But with that comes a cost And he had to talk to his daughter about not being able to join that association because he had to preserve his money because he thought this day would come Controllers gathered outside airports nationwide on Tuesday to hand out leaflets urging an end to the shutdown as soon as manageable Worrying about how to pay their bills is driving selected to take second jobs to make ends meet D C -based aviation safety analyst Jeff Guzzetti described WTOP that as the shutdown drags things are likely to get worse These sickouts are going to cause slowdowns in the system There may even be airports that would have to absolutely shut down he added From a safety standpoint I m not that concerned But from a delay and cancellation and massive inconvenience standpoint I m very concerned During President Donald Trump s first administration a -day executive shutdown in late was ended in part due to pressure when flight delays and disruptions became overwhelming Passengers at DCA stated if that s what it takes to end this stalemate they re OK with that At Reagan traveler Anne Edwards was going to New York with her husband Gus When you re flying around and you realize there is less staff directing the plane s takeoffs and landings it s a concern she announced Duffy commented the shutdown is also making it harder for the ruling body to reduce the longstanding shortage of about controllers He reported that particular students have dropped out of the air traffic controller academy in Oklahoma City and younger controllers who are still training to do the job might abandon the career because they can t afford to go without pay The shutdown is making it more hard for me to accomplish those goals Duffy mentioned The Associated Press contributed to this description Source