Air traffic controllers and technicians with perfect attendance during the government shutdown will enjoy a $10,000 bonus. It is estimated that around 20,000 ATCs will miss out on this payout, with just 776 controllers or technicians eligible, as reported by the Associated Press. This comes off the back of widespread disruption to air travel in the United States, with many employees calling in sick or refusing overtime as they were expected to work unpaid.
The pressure on controllers started to mount, with financial restraints meaning they would work without a paycheck. As a result, many got side jobs to bring in extra cash, with absences leading to delays at the country’s busiest airports, and unprecedented measures being undertaken by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), where up to 10% of domestic flights were cancelled across the nation’s 40 busiest airports.
President Trump Suggests A $10,000 Bonus
The current United States President, Donald Trump, suggested in a social media post that perhaps employees who showed up to every shift they were assigned to during the federal government shutdown should be eligible for a $10,000 bonus for their loyalty. Trump also reiterated that the department should dock the pay of those controllers who missed work. While the FAA has publicly advised they have not considered docking any pay, today’s annoucement outlines that those who did show up for work will get a sweet $10,000 added to their payslip.
Not only were air traffic controllers required to work unpaid over the lockdown, but also 6,600 technicians were expected to show up each day. However, throughout this period, more than 3,000 were recalled (meaning they were expected to work outside their usual work hours due to short staffing or other demands). The Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, noted that these bonuses will be paid before Christmas. His tweet, as shared on X, is below:
“Santa’s coming to town a little early. These patriotic men and women never missed a beat and kept the flying public safe throughout the shutdown.”
Simple Flying reached out to the FAA for comment on the $10,000 bonus, however they did not immediately respond by the time this article was published.
Not Everyone Will Get A Bonus
Only 311 union members of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association will receive this bonus, which is a far cry from the 10,000 which are members of NATCA. The association noted that while the attendance of these individuals is commendable, all members deserve recognition.
Many critics have questioned why not all controllers who worked through the shutdown will also get the bonus, and the controllers’ union is hoping the Transportation Secretary can find a way to recognize all those who worked in one part or another through the shutdown.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has also advised that select TSA officers who went ‘above and beyond’ may also be eligible for the $10,000 bonus; however, there have been no clear selection criteria shared on how eligible officers will be chosen.
“Forced To Think About Survival Over Public Safety”: NATCA President Speaks Out As Shutdown Lingers
Airlines are offering to pay crew extra to pick up flights, while private jet movements have been limited at major hubs.
2025 Federal Government Shutdown
Between October 1 and November 12, 2025, the United States federal government was placed into a shutdown due to Congress failing to pass the appropriate legislation for the 2026 fiscal year. This occurred due to the Republican controlled House of Representatives having a continuing resolution blocked by Senate Democrats. 14 times the legislation failed before an appropriations bill was passed on November 10
This shutdown saw the furlough of 900,000 federal employees, and another two million were expected to work without pay. This affected those in government programs such as Medicare or Medicaid, the Department of Defense, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), plus other agency operations such as the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
During the shutdown, severe understaffing was witnessed at major airports across the country, as both TSA officers, Air Traffic Controllers and other federal government airport staff expected to work without pay decided to take additional sick leave, or find other jobs to bring in extra income. This resulted in long lines for airport security at some of the countries major airports, with wait times at one US airport surpassing three hours. These pressures eventually led to the directive to shave 10% of all flights across the nation’s busiest 40 airports, and saw major airlines scrambling to cancel services.
