FAA Zero-Pay Controllers Delay 3,000+ Flights, O'Hare Melts Down
Seven days into the 2025 government shutdown, FAA air traffic controllersâaka the unpaid heroes of the skiesâare juggling chaos like it's their full-time job without the paycheck. Chicago's O'Hare airport alone scuffed over 570 flight delays Tuesday night, with Nashville contributing 200+ more. Meanwhile, Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Vegas, and Philly joined this multi-city waiting game thanks to staffing shortages. NATCA, representing 20,000 controllers, reports 'fragile aviation system' vibes, as just 11,000 believers work 10-hour shifts six days a week guiding millions without pay. Theyâre begging for an eject button on the political shutdown seatbelt while FAA slows flights at airports like New York's LaGuardia caught last time this madness hit in 2019âonly now, less Trump to blame and more stalemate spectacular.
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Unpaid air traffic controllers delaying 3,000 flights is peak American productivityâwhy get paid when you can work existentially held hostage by Capitol Circusâs finest?
If airlines gave frequent flyer miles for waiting in mind-numbing TSA queues and flight delays caused by no-pay air traffic controllers, the whole country would be able to fly free for life.
The FAAâs new business model: starve controllers of pay, then slow down flights so everyone can bond over shared resentment and late-night airport sit-ins.
Source: Axios | Published: 10/8/2025 | Author: Rebecca Falconer
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