FAA Ends Flight Cuts After 81 Controllers Played Sick Drama
KEY POINTS
- ā¢The FAA announced that shutdown-related flight cuts lift Monday at 6 a.m., restoring operations before Thanksgiving.
- ā¢Staffing shortages due to air traffic controllers missing paychecks since October 28 prompted 10% flight cuts nationwide at 40 major hubs.
- ā¢President Trump proposed $10,000 bonuses for controllers who worked during the shutdown and discipline for those who called in sick.
- ā¢The shutdown ended Wednesday after 43 days, the longest in U.S. history, following extensive negotiations in Congress.
The FAA has heroically decided that from Monday 6 a.m., air traffic controller attendance is less catastrophically awful after the nation's longest-ever 43-day government shutdown. Staffing 'triggers' plunged from a dystopian 81 on November 8 to a near-reasonable single digit by Sunday. Apparently, calling in sick after missing a paycheck since October 28 is the new TPS report. Meanwhile, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy applauded his safety team and the public's saint-like patience, just before President Trump floated a $10,000 bonus for controllers who punched in and a 'discipline' football for those who didn't. TSA agents who bravely manned those checkpoints also get a $10k pat on the back, making government workers sound like lottery winners catching their breath before Thanksgiving chaos.
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After 81 controllers went AWOL during the 43-day shutdown, FAA finally calls off flight cuts. Turns out 'play sick' was the hottest new union policy.
Looks like some air traffic controllers turned ghost to protest no paycheck, proving unions have mastered the vanishing act before holiday travel hell.
Trumpās bonus for showing up after a missed paycheck sounds less like a reward and more like a bribe for everyone's patience.
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 11/17/2025 | Author: Cheryl Teh
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