As over 2,300 flights are cancelled, the aviation industry faces growing chaos while President Trump vows to dock pay from controllers missing work and reward those who stay on duty.
More than 2,300 U.S. flights were cancelled on Monday as President Donald Trump threatened to dock pay from air traffic controllers who called in sick amid the ongoing government shutdown — now in its 41st day and straining the nation’s aviation system.
Taking to his Truth Social platform, Trump blasted absent workers as “unpatriotic” and ordered all controllers to “get back to work, NOW!!!” He warned that those who refused would be “substantially docked,” while promising a $10,000 bonus to what he described as the “GREAT PATRIOTS” who continued working without pay.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) responded sharply, praising members working through the crisis as “unsung heroes” and demanding immediate congressional action. “Enough is enough,” the union said in a statement, calling on lawmakers to end the impasse that has left thousands of federal employees unpaid.
Union president Nick Daniels described a developing deal in Congress as “a right step in the right direction,” offering a glimmer of hope that the deadlock could soon be broken.
The crisis has severely impacted U.S. air travel, with FlightAware reporting over 8,700 delayed flights and more than 1,100 cancellations already scheduled for Tuesday. The Federal Aviation Administration has also imposed a 10% reduction in flights at major airports due to staffing shortages, further compounding the disruption.
Aviation experts warn that the shutdown’s effects could linger, as the air traffic control system was already stretched thin before the crisis, with chronic understaffing and rising passenger demand ahead of the Thanksgiving travel rush.
As tensions rise between the White House and aviation unions, pressure mounts on Congress to finalize a compromise bill that could end the shutdown and stabilize the nation’s airways.
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