U.S. President Donald Trump ordered air traffic controllers back to work amid record flight cancellations and delays during the 41-day federal government shutdown, warning penalties for absences and promising rewards for those who stayed on duty.
Trump also promised rewards for controllers who remained on duty throughout the shutdown, though it is unclear how many would qualify for the proposed $10,000 bonus. He added that he would accept resignations from those who took leave.
“All Air Traffic Controllers must get back to work, NOW!!! Anyone who doesn’t will be substantially ‘docked,’” Trump wrote on social media. “REPORT TO WORK IMMEDIATELY.”
The president’s message sent shares of major U.S. airlines, including American Airlines, Delta, and United, lower. Flight Disruptions Worsen
The shutdown has left air traffic controller staffing at critically low levels, as many federal employees remain unpaid. FAA Chief Bryan Bedford reported last week that 20–40% of controllers were absent on any given day at the nation’s 30 busiest airports. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said staffing issues peaked over the weekend, with Saturday being the worst single day since the shutdown began.
On Monday, airlines cancelled 1,700 U.S. flights, with delays also mounting. FlightAware reported that by 11:30 a.m. ET, 3,480 flights were delayed after 2,950 were cancelled on Sunday, marking the worst disruption since the shutdown started on 1 October. A November winter storm in Chicago further aggravated travel delays. Controller Shortages and FAA Measures
The FAA is operating roughly 3,500 controllers below target staffing levels. Many had already been working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks before the shutdown. Duffy has introduced incentives to retain retirement-eligible controllers and launched a $12.5 billion plan to modernize U.S. air traffic control.
The FAA also suspended general aviation traffic at 12 airports, including Chicago O’Hare and Reagan Washington National, due to staffing shortages. Airlines have been instructed to cut daily flights by 4% at 40 major airports, with reductions rising to 6% on Tuesday and 10% by 14 November. Duffy emphasised that flight cuts will remain until air traffic control staffing and safety data improve. Union Response
National Air Traffic Controllers Association President Nick Daniels said the union would continue working with the administration and that controllers will keep showing up during the shutdown.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate moved forward late Sunday on legislation to end the shutdown, though final approval from the House and President Trump is still required.
Tensions between the U.S. and Iran are escalating, with Washington ordering a significant military build-up in the region and multiple countries evacu...
Two people were killed and around 40 injured when a tram derailed in central Milan on Friday (27 Februrary), a spokesperson for local firefighters sai...
Abdullah Öcalan, the jailed leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), issued a statement on Friday (27 February) calling on Ankara to ...
Colombia’s commerce minister, Diana Marcela Morales, has said she will propose raising tariffs on certain Ecuadorian goods from 30% to 50%, as a tra...
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton said on Friday (27 February) that he had no knowledge of the crimes committed by Jeffrey Epstein and would not have...
Tensions between the U.S. and Iran are escalating, with Washington ordering a significant military build-up in the region and multiple countries evacuating diplomatic staff amid fears of further instability.
Speaking during a closed-door deposition in New York on Thursday (February), former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she did not “recall” ever meeting the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and had “no knowledge of his crimes”.
Pakistan’s declaration of an “open war” with Afghanistan must be understood in the context of months of escalating violence, regional analysts have said, describing the latest developments as a significant shift in the nature of the conflict.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Friday urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their differences through dialogue, offering Tehran’s assistance to facilitate understanding between its eastern neighbours.
Tensions between the U.S. and Iran are escalating, with Washington ordering a significant military build-up in the region and multiple countries evacuating diplomatic staff amid fears of further instability.
The death toll from heavy rains and flooding in Brazil’s Minas Gerais state has risen to 46, authorities said, with 21 people still reported missing. The storms triggered landslides and widespread flooding, displacing thousands across Juiz de Fora and Uba.
The situation in Cuba was heating up and called for restraint following a deadly incident involving a Florida-registered speedboat off the coast of the Caribbean island, the Kremlin said on Thursday (26 February).
Pakistani air strikes hit a weapons depot on the western outskirts of Kabul overnight, triggering hours of secondary explosions that rattled homes across the Afghan capital and left residents fearing further violence.
Venezuela’s Attorney General Tarek William Saab and Ombudsman Alfredo Ruiz tendered their resignations to the National Assembly on Wednesday. Neither official has publicly provided reasons for stepping down.
Tensions between the U.S. and Iran are escalating, with Washington ordering a significant military build-up in the region and multiple countries evacuating diplomatic staff amid fears of further instability.
Two people were killed and around 40 injured when a tram derailed in central Milan on Friday (27 Februrary), a spokesperson for local firefighters said.
Colombia’s commerce minister, Diana Marcela Morales, has said she will propose raising tariffs on certain Ecuadorian goods from 30% to 50%, as a trade dispute between the neighbouring countries intensifies.
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton said on Friday (27 February) that he had no knowledge of the crimes committed by Jeffrey Epstein and would not have flown on the late convicted sex offender’s plane had he had any inkling of his activities.
Some of Iran's most highly enriched uranium, close to weapons grade, was stored in an underground area of its nuclear site in Isfahan, the UN nuclear watchdog said in a confidential report sent to member states on Friday (27 February).
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment