US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has issued a stern warning to air traffic controllers who are calling in sick during the ongoing government shutdown, threatening to terminate their employment. In a recent interview with Fox Business News, Duffy labeled the absent employees as ‘problem children,’ attributing more than half of the nation’s flight delays to their absence. He commended the majority of controllers who continue to report for duty, noting that only about 10% are refusing to work due to the government’s inability to pay them. ‘If we have some of our staff that aren’t dedicated like we need, we’re going to let them go,’ Duffy stated. He emphasized that this ‘small subset of controllers’ is causing significant disruptions in flight schedules, leading to delays and cancellations across the country. Duffy also addressed the issue of backpay, which President Donald Trump has suggested might not be provided to some federal workers. ‘When you come to work, you get paid. If you don’t come to work, you don’t get paid. That’s the way we’re going to do it,’ he asserted. The shutdown, now in its second week, has led to increasingly severe consequences, including the potential closure of Smithsonian Institution locations and missed paychecks for military personnel. The Senate’s failure to pass a resolution to reopen the government has further exacerbated the situation, with Democrats and Republicans continuing to blame each other for the impasse. The immediate effects of the shutdown are most evident at the nation’s airports, where rising absenteeism among air traffic controllers has forced the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to cancel and delay flights. On Thursday night, flights at Newark Liberty International Airport were delayed by an average of 87 minutes. Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, has denied that the absences are part of a coordinated effort to pressure the government to reopen. Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has released a video blaming Democrats for the shutdown, which is reportedly being played in major US airports.
US Transportation Secretary threatens to fire absent air traffic controllers
