On October 10, 2025, the United States Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy warned on Thursday (October 9) that the Department may dismiss air traffic controllers who have been repeatedly absent during the federal government shutdown, citing a significant increase in absenteeism that is causing severe disruptions in air transport.
Duffy stated on Fox Business that if a small number of controllers continue to skip work and become “problem children,” they will be let go. He emphasized, “If some of our employees are not as dedicated as we need them to be, we will get rid of them. I cannot tolerate people not showing up for work.”
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported on Thursday that personnel deployment issues have been ongoing for the fourth consecutive day, affecting flights in the Newark and New York areas.
Since Monday, there have been 19,000 flight delays across the United States, including 3,300 on Thursday, with thousands of delays related to the FAA slowing down flight operations due to air traffic controller absenteeism.
Duffy commended the 90% to 95% of air traffic controllers who, despite not receiving pay, continue to report to work every day.
He added, “It only takes a small number of people not showing up for work to cause this large-scale disruption,” stating that this is the domino effect currently seen in the aviation sector.
A spokesperson for the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) responded to Duffy’s comments, saying, “There are processes and procedures in place to handle improper use of sick leave.”
The union has repeatedly urged air traffic controllers to keep working during the government shutdown and warned members that absenteeism could lead to their dismissal by federal agencies.
The shortage of air traffic controllers in the United States has been ongoing for over a decade, with many controllers already in mandatory overtime and six-day work weeks before the government shutdown. The Federal Aviation Administration still needs approximately 3,500 more controllers to reach their target staffing level.
On Wednesday, Duffy stated, “Historically, about 5% of delays are attributed to personnel deployment issues. However, in the past few days, this ratio has risen to 53%.”
Currently, around 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials must continue working during the government shutdown without receiving any pay.
(This article was adapted from a Reuters report.)