The government shutdown may have made it tougher to fix the air traffic controller shortage

By Chris Isidore, CNN

(CNN) — America hasn’t had enough air traffic controllers for more than a decade – and the recent government shutdown might have made it even worse.

The stress of not being paid for those 44 days, on top of already harsh working conditions, spurred many to leave the workforce, according to Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, the union representing controllers.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said it also prompted many to retire early.

Replacing them could take years – and the shutdown underscored the stakes when the country lacks controllers: canceled flights, delays and an even more miserable travel experience overall.

Daniels wouldn’t estimate the number of controllers lost, referring CNN to the FAA. The FAA did not respond to CNN’s inquiry about the issue.

“Just even losing one is too many, but I can’t even fathom how many were lost during the time,” Daniels told CNN Friday.

Thousands more controllers needed

The FAA currently has about 11,000 certified controllers working and estimates it needs 3,000 more. That means hiring more than 6,000, though, to make up for expected departures.

Increased retirements and resignations during the shutdown will make filling that gap more difficult.

Duffy admitted as much at a press conference shortly before the shutdown ended in which he disclosed the increase in retirements during the shutdown.

“Long after you all finish covering the shutdown, we are going to be stuck dealing with this problem,” he told reporters.

But President Donald Trump said he isn’t concerned about losing additional air traffic controllers, especially those who called off work at times during the the shutdown.

“If you want to leave service in the near future, please do not hesitate to do so, with NO payment or severance of any kind!” he said in the post. “You will be quickly replaced by true Patriots, who will do a better job.”

But there is no quick way to replace an air traffic controller: It takes two to three years of training before controllers can oversee aircraft. Natural attrition was already nearly outpacing hiring, even before the shutdown.

Daniels defended those who didn’t report to work at times during the shutdown, saying the lack of pay could cause child care issues or other problems. Even Duffy said he understood the financial pressures made it difficult for some to report in.

Even a $10,000 bonus from the FAA to the 800 air traffic control staff with perfect attendance during the shutdown has highlighted the system’s fragility.

Many controllers who took approved vacations or had sick or bereavement leave and therefore didn’t qualify complained the bonus just shows how little appreciated controllers are.

“It spits in the faces of the thousands of controllers who showed up every day without a paycheck, who staffed an already-broken system, who worked overtime, who attended funerals, who took care of sick children, who took well-deserved vacations booked a year in advance,” one user wrote on Reddit. “To now be told that only a small slice of us are ‘worthy’ of recognition is a betrayal of the reality we all are living through.”

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.