Air traffic controllers with perfect shutdown attendance to get bonus

Air traffic controllers and technicians with perfect attendance during the government shutdown will receive $10,000 bonuses, the Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration said this week.

The bonuses will go to 776 controllers and technicians, who will receive notification next week with payments going out by Dec. 9, the FAA and DOT said. There are about 11,000 fully certified air traffic controllers in the U.S., according to their union.

“These patriotic men and women never missed a beat and kept the flying public safe throughout the shutdown,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a release late Thursday.

The DOT and FAA didn’t immediately say whether preplanned vacation time or fatigue calls would disqualify controllers and technicians from the bonus.

An increase in absences of air traffic controllers, who were required to work without their regular paychecks during the more than 40-day shutdown, the longest ever, forced airlines to slow or cancel flights. The shutdown ended Nov. 12 with a bill to fund the government through January.

The shutdown’s disruptions and additional strain on air traffic controllers, many of whom are already required to work six-day weeks, sparked an outcry from the aviation industry, which urged lawmakers to ensure critical workers aren’t left without pay if there’s another shutdown.

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association, which represents the country’s air traffic controllers, said it was informed of the decision on cash bonuses hours before the announcement. It said that 311 employees represented by NATCA qualify for the payments.

“We look forward to working with the Administration to provide the appropriate recognition to those not covered by the Secretary’s announcement,” the union said in a statement.

The Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, the union that represents 11,000 FAA and Defense Department workers including technicians, said it is “reviewing the information that has been provided by the FAA and is evaluating how best to ensure that all employees who worked during the shutdown are recognized.”

Last week, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Transportation Security Administration officers who screen passengers at airports would also receive $10,000 bonuses for perfect attendance.

“Despite tremendous personal, operational, and financial challenges, these dedicated officers showed up to work every day for more than a month, without pay, ensuring the American people could travel safely,” DHS said in a press release.