Nearly 800 air traffic controllers and technicians with perfect work attendance during the government shutdown will receive a $10,000 award for their “patriotic work” ensuring sky safety, the Transportation Department and the Federal Aviation Administration announced Thursday.
The award is part of President Donald Trump’s directive to reward the air traffic personnel who weathered the chaos of the record-long shutdown that resulted in controllers’ working overtime, call-outs, mass flight cancellations and delays and a temporary cut in flights at 40 of the busiest airports.
The award will be sent to those “who maintained perfect attendance” during the more than 40-day shutdown, officials said. Recipients will be notified next week and receive their payments by Dec. 9.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said he was “profoundly proud and grateful” for the personnel who worked “during extraordinary operational challenges to keep the [national air space] running safely during the longest government shutdown.” He called their work “the highest levels of public service.”
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy posted the bonus announcement on X, writing: “Santa’s coming to town a little early.”
The shutdown meant already short-staffed controllers worked without pay and in some cases picked up second jobs to make ends meet.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association said that 311 employees represented by the union will receive the award but that thousands of air safety personnel are not included in the federal bonus.
According to the FAA, there are over 14,000 air traffic controllers in the United States.
The union said that while it agrees that aviation safety personnel deserve recognition and gratitude, “we are concerned that thousands of air traffic controllers who consistently reported for duty during the shutdown, ensuring the safe transport of passengers and cargo across the nation, while working without pay and uncertain of when they would receive compensation, were excluded from this recognition.”
“More than 311 of these dedicated professionals were instrumental in keeping America moving,” it said. “We look forward to working with the Administration to provide the appropriate recognition to those not covered by the Secretary’s announcement.”
The FAA and the Transportation Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Last week, Trump on Truth Social suggested the $10,000 bonus for controllers who worked without taking time off during the shutdown, while also suggesting those who did not return to work amid the shutdown be “substantially ‘docked.’”
