Nick Daniels, who heads the Air Traffic Controller union, said reducing the number of flights will ensure the safety of the air traffic control system, as ATC operators are distracted by personal financial strains over the government shutdown.
“Every day that this drags on, risk is going to increase,” Daniels told “The Takeout” tonight. Air traffic controllers “have to be 100%, 100% of the time. But now, they’re worried about putting gas in their car. They’re worried about putting food on the table. They can’t even pay for childcare in some instances. So, as that risk increases, you have to begin reducing the capacity of the of the system and take down the number of flights in order to ensure the safety of it.”
He also told “The Takeout” that he knew of one air traffic controller who had been “evicted out of their apartment.”
Air traffic controllers have now had two consecutive pay periods with paychecks for $0.00, and their last paycheck with income was a partial paycheck, Daniels pointed out, since the pay period ended after the shutdown had begun.
Daniels said he’s hearing from union members, “It’s manifesting in, anger … they don’t know where to focus it, but it’s also frustration, stress, fatigue, their mental well-being.”
“They have to be ready to ensure the safety of the flying public,” he added. “So, every day that this drags on, it’s introducing new problems because these are real people with real lives and every American can empathize with — If you don’t pay anybody, there’s going to be issues ahead.”
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