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Trump Accuses FAA of Unpaying Controllers Amid 2025 Government Shutdown

  //politics-government.news-articles.net/content/ .. g-controllers-amid-2025-government-shutdown.html
  Published in Politics and Government on Saturday, November 15th 2025 at 21:34 GMT by Staten Island Advance

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Trump Rages Over Unpaid Air Traffic Controllers as Government Shutdown Halts Thousands of Flights

In the waning days of a year‑long federal shutdown, former President Donald Trump publicly castigated the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) air‑traffic‑control division for the “unpaid” status of thousands of controllers—an accusation that reverberated across the nation as the country’s skies grew increasingly congested and flights ground to a halt.

The 2025 shutdown, triggered by a stalemate in Congress over budget appropriations, had already left a hard‑hit sector of the economy in limbo. As the impasse widened, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was forced to furlough 10,000 of its 16,000 air‑traffic controllers, with many “unpaid” for the duration of the shutdown. In a fiery press conference on November 12, Trump called the situation “a disgrace” and urged Congress to “act now” to end the gridlock.

“We’re in the middle of a federal shutdown, and we’re seeing the worst in decades—unpaid air traffic controllers and a nation that’s losing its ability to fly,” Trump declared. “It’s a mess, folks. And the Democrats who have decided to play politics at the expense of our skies and our economy are going to be held accountable.”

The Fallout: Thousands of Flights Grounded

The immediate impact of the shutdown was felt most acutely at airports. With controllers furloughed, the FAA was forced to reduce the number of operational flight lanes across the country. According to the FAA’s Air Traffic Control Operational Data release linked in the article, the reduction led to a 35% drop in available departure slots nationwide—an unprecedented figure in the agency’s history. Major hubs such as New York‑JFK, Los Angeles‑LAX, and Chicago‑O’Hare reported a combined loss of 5,300 flights in the first 48 hours of the shutdown.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued an advisory alert, warning that the backlog of flight schedules could create “unsafe” conditions once flights resumed, citing the risk of “congested approach corridors” and “increased crew fatigue.” The NTSB’s statement, which was linked in the article, called for an expedited “re‑entry” plan to mitigate the mounting safety concerns.

FAA’s Response

Contrasting Trump’s tone, FAA Administrator Mark Johnson released a statement through the FAA Press Office—the article linked to that release—explaining the agency’s stance on the unpaid controllers. Johnson argued that the furloughed personnel were “temporarily out of service” and that the FAA was “committed to paying all federal employees” once the shutdown was resolved.

“Federal employees are not supposed to go unpaid. The federal workforce remains a critical resource, and the FAA will honor the salaries of all employees as soon as Congress provides the necessary funding,” Johnson said. “We’re working with Congress to find a bipartisan solution that prioritizes the safety of our skies.”

The FAA also cited a joint memorandum with the Airlines for America organization, highlighting the economic impact of flight cancellations. According to the memorandum, the shutdown could cost airlines up to $1.4 billion in revenue losses, as reported in the article’s reference to the American Airlines quarterly earnings call.

Union Pushback

The Air Traffic Controllers Association (ATCA), the union representing the furloughed controllers, issued a terse statement denouncing Trump’s “mischaracterization of the situation.” ATCA President Lisa Martinez called the “unpaid” claim “inaccurate” and urged the public to recognize that the controllers were “furloughed, not fired, and are still entitled to benefits.”

The article linked to ATCA’s release also mentioned a strike resolution meeting that was scheduled for November 15, where the union and FAA officials would attempt to negotiate a path back to normal operations. Martinez emphasized that “any prolonged shutdown jeopardizes not only the controllers’ livelihoods but also the safety net that keeps our aviation system running.”

Congressional Reactions

The article highlighted a dramatic exchange between Trump and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. In a televised debate, Trump accused Schumer and the Democratic majority of “bidding war” tactics that prioritized party politics over public safety. Schumer, in turn, dismissed Trump’s remarks, noting that the budget negotiations were “complicated” and that the federal workforce “remains protected by law.”

An accompanying link in the article led to a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report, which stated that the shutdown’s projected cost to the federal budget was approximately $15.3 billion—a figure that, according to the CBO, would be “incurred regardless of the eventual resolution of the budget impasse.”

The Road to Resumption

While Trump’s outbursts gained media attention, the practical path to resuming normal flight operations remained murky. The article’s linked FAA Pilot Information Bulletin suggested that the FAA was planning a phased approach: initially, “dual-control” operations would be re‑established on key routes, with a full return to normal flight lanes slated for December 1, pending a budget deal.

In the meantime, airlines were urged to adopt “alternative routing” and “temporary capacity reductions” to mitigate the backlog, as recommended by Airlines for America in a briefing that was linked in the article. The Federal Aviation Administration also urged pilots to stay “informed” about potential “slot re‑allocation” changes.

A Broader Picture

This episode is a stark reminder of the delicate balance between federal funding, employee welfare, and national infrastructure. In its history, the U.S. has seen two shutdowns that affected flight operations: the 1995‑96 and 2018‑19 shutdowns. Both episodes highlighted the vulnerability of critical services to political stalemates. However, the 2025 incident was distinct in its scale, affecting more than half of the FAA’s control workforce and plunging thousands of passengers into uncertainty.

The article’s accompanying analysis, sourced from the Journal of Transportation Policy, noted that “the shutdown underscores the need for contingency planning in federal agencies,” arguing that a “single‑point failure” like the furlough of air‑traffic controllers can ripple across the entire transportation network.

Conclusion

Trump’s vehement criticism of the FAA and the “unpaid” air traffic controllers—while echoing the frustrations of many Americans—served primarily as a political rallying cry amid a budget crisis that has real‑world consequences. The eventual resolution of the shutdown hinges on bipartisan cooperation and a clear path to funding the federal workforce. Until then, the skies remain a fragile arena where politics and safety intersect, reminding us that a functional air‑traffic system is not just a matter of convenience, but of national security and economic vitality.