Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Thursday that 53 percent of nationwide flight delays are now being attributed to air traffic controller staffing shortages, a sharp rise from an average of 5 percent before the current government shutdown.
Speaking on Fox Business, Duffy said roughly 10 percent of controllers have been calling in sick as the funding lapse continues, contributing to a wave of cancellations and extended ground holds at major airports.
“They do have to go to work,” Duffy said. “A small number can create this massive disruption across the system.”
The secretary’s comments followed reports earlier this week that several towers and radar centers have been short-staffed, including Burbank Airport’s tower, which went temporarily unstaffed Monday evening before operations were assumed by the Southern California TRACON.
In a press conference Monday, Duffy warned that missed paychecks were straining an already stretched controller workforce.
Duffy also said in the Fox Business interview that controllers who fail to report for duty will not be compensated for missed time and said the department will “let go” of those repeatedly absent during the shutdown.
“We need the best and the brightest, the dedicated controllers,” Duffy said. “If we have some on our staff that aren’t dedicated like we need, we’re going to let them go.”
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association, which represents the federal air traffic controller workforce, has urged for a swift resolution to prevent lasting damage to the workforce and modernization efforts. The union has also called for its members to continue working and to avoid any actions that could disrupt the national airspace system.
Duffy also said that while air traffic operations remain safe, reduced staffing has required slower traffic flow nationwide, resulting in mounting delays as the shutdown enters its second week.
“Flying on time is not the mission,” Duffy said. “Safety is the mission.”
Its rich that all the people chastising the controllers are still getting their full pay.
I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around this. “Calling out sick” is now a citable offense at the workplace?
… naah … I think the Secretary is gonna have to rethink this.
I’m sure this is at the direction of our generalissimo in chief…
Forced to work without pay? I thought slavery was illegal.
Preface: I believe Controllers should be paid.
However, you have to be a grown up and understand how the world works. The last 10 years should have been an eye opener.
If the Government wants to de-platform dissenters, it will de-platform dissenters.
If the Government has to lie to the public to start a war, they’ll have their war.
If the Government wants to collect “meta data”, it will collect meta data.
If the Government wants you to take an experimental drug to get keep your job, you’ll have to take the drug.
If the Government wants you to work without pay, you’ll have to work without pay.
None of this is great, none of this is correct, but be an adult. That’s the world we live in.
Duffy‘s just another Fox TV personality thrust into a job he’s unable to handle. He knows how to throw out sound bites that appease certain voters without understanding the full implications.
And yet with all your blather, once again no solutions. hot air isn’t making things better.
No, actually all this chaos is at the direction of the democrat Senators, somebody always has to clean of the childish tantrums.
I’m afraid the fact is that controllers are being used as pawns by the administration to put pressure on Congress. When Trump can’t get his way, he hurts people. Come to think of it, he hurts people when he does get his way too. It is all quite illogical. There is a controller shortage, so the administration is going to fire controllers to make things better. Go figure.
There it is. Blame everything on those pesky Democrats who want to preserve Medicare benefits. Lets get back to building that beautiful new ballroom at the WH and F the hungry poor desperate and abused folks. Some good ol’ fashioned pull yourself up by your ICE bracelets comeuppance I tells ya.
“We need the best and the brightest, . . ." Maybe we should start at the top, in that case. Duffus would do well to read the history of the 1981 PATCO firings to see how well that all worked out for the country.
Ronald Reagan did it first. But he axes the jobs of some 12,000 Controllers. It took years to get the national system running properly. I shouldn’t complain, because I got my FAA career directly because of Reagan’s action. A new position (Air Traffic Assistant was created). As an underemployed pilot, I qualified for the position. After a year, I finally got my true goal (Aviation Safety Inspector). And what a career it was. But the point is, there is nothing to be gained by firing qualified Controllers.
Yep, 55 Republicans AND democrats vote to open the government, 45 democrats are keeping it closed because they can’t spend 1.5 trillion for health care for illegals. Yep Trump’s fault. You are a joke or a troll.
I know, can’t those human beings just like die already? They and anyone even suspected of being illegal, or looking illegal, or lets just include anyone speaking spanish .. no more emergency care for those guys!
i have a solution: lets just shoot pepper balls at them. maybe we’ll even hit a pastor right in the eye. If he speaks spanish, no care for him either !
You have a lot of people laughing at ya.
Sec Duffy’s approach to ATC controller shortage reminded me of these sharply barbed truisms…
“We’re not happy unless you’re not happy.” --perceived motto of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
"The beatings will continue until morale improves” -management
“Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn’t have to do it himself.” --A.H. Weiler
Yeah, you’re pretty much full of BS! And so is Duffy and the rest of Trumps unqualified idiots! They have no idea how government works and just spout out nonsense on Fox to sound strong! Keep fooling yourself that GOP gives two shits about the process or you. #TrumpIsANationalDisgrace
What a stupid comment! I’m sure you can’t do the job… way over you mental capacity!
Man are you simple… eating up everything Fox and little man Johnson is feeding you!
The lack of ability to fact check astounds me. Read the following carefully.
Major ineligible federal programs
Undocumented immigrants are barred from enrolling in federal means-tested benefits, where eligibility is based on income and resources. These include:
Because then only billionaires could afford to serve in Congress. Regular schmucks would be forced out the first time they missed a paycheck…
Perhaps when Congress aren’t paid during this shutdown may reinforce the hyprocrisy. As federal employees, congressional funding should include a provision; Congressional salaries are withheld along with those affected by this circus.
Simple question. What else should one expect from a voice activated robot, member of the FAUX NEWS, and I use the word News very loosely. Duffy is not up on his history when Reagan fired controllers in the ‘80s. My rabbit out of the hat back then was “Tower to Tower” clearances.
Wait, what? I thought it was 47 Democrats voting to fund the government and protect healthcare for tens of millions of American Citizens, while 52 Republicans are keeping government closed and de-funding healthcare because they want to continue to protect the tax breaks they’ve handed to their billionaire buddies.
… those pesky Democrats want to preserve healthcare to illegal aliens. But thats not completely the crux of the matter … what is, the DIMMS want to continue subsidizing ObamaCare knowing full well at the time Obama spent $11T during his last term, the subsidys would expire. In other words the “chickens have come home to roost”.. the DIMMS created it, and Trump is allowing them to wallow in it.
I love when pilots are free to offer their beliefs even when such beliefs are totally contrary to established fact. Their beliefs are very balanced… for every pilot who knows what they are talking about, there is another pilot who does not. Same as it ever was.
Another absolutely brilliant decision. This “Secretary” wants employees to work without pay, work more than the 60 hours a week most do, and do it while he still gets paid!
Duffy should be careful here. The union won’t endorse a strike because they know what happened to PATCO, but the FAA has approximately zero ability to compensate for any kind of significant labor disturbance. In 1981, there was a fairly high number of staff qualified to work traffic but outside the bargaining unit, plus qualified supervisors to fill in. That pool is much reduced now (virtually all qualified staff are covered by the bargaining unit) and there are fewer supervisors with less ability to keep things running. It wouldn’t take much to really mess the system up with very little mitigation available, and if Duffy thinks he can fix it with threats, he needs to keep thinking.