United States President Donald Trump has demanded that all air traffic controllers return to work immediately amid the government shutdown.
In a post on Truth Social, he said air traffic controllers who don’t return to work will be docked substantially, while those who do will be offered a bonus.
“For those Air Traffic Controllers who were GREAT PATRIOTS, and didn’t take ANY TIME OFF for the “Democrat Shutdown Hoax,” I will be recommending a BONUS of $10,000 per person for distinguished service to our Country,” he said.
“For those that did nothing but complain, and took time off, even though everyone knew they would be paid, IN FULL, shortly into the future, I am NOT HAPPY WITH YOU.”
This comes as the current U.S. government shutdown stretches over 40 days, making it the longest in U.S. history.
As a result of the shutdown, government workers, including air traffic controllers, have been working without pay.
Many air traffic controllers have stopped showing up for work, causing many flight delays and cancellations.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy echoed Trump’s demands for controllers to show up to work.
“Air traffic controllers NEED to show up for work!” he said.
“To those who have worked throughout the shutdown — thank you for your patriotism and commitment to keeping our skies safe. I will work with Congress to reward your commitment.”
However, a former Transportation Secretary under Joe Biden slammed Trump’s remarks.
“The President wouldn't last five minutes as an air traffic controller, and after everything they've been through - and the way this administration has treated them from Day One - he has no business sh-tting on them now,” he said.
On Monday, 1,623 of the 25,735 U.S. flights were cancelled, accounting for around 6.3% of the day’s schedule.
American Airlines Chief Operating Officer David Seymour said 250,000 of its customers were impacted by disruptions over the weekend, with 1,4000 cancellations attributed to air traffic control.
He said the situation was “unacceptable” and that “everyone deserves better”.
“Our air traffic controllers deserve to be paid and our airline needs to be able to operate at a level of predictability and dependability that no major airline was able to provide the flying public this weekend,” he said in a note to staff that was seen by CNBC.
