A plane takes off from New York’s LaGuardia Airport after the FAA ordered flight reductions at 40 major airports as the U.S. government shutdown continues, November 7, 2025 in Queens, New York City.
Ryan Murphy | Reuters
The Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration announced this week that air traffic controllers and technicians who earned perfect attendance awards during the government shutdown will receive a $10,000 bonus.
The bonuses, which will be awarded to 776 air traffic controllers and technicians, will be notified next week and paid by Dec. 9, the FAA and DOT said. There are about 11,000 fully certified air traffic controllers in the United States, according to the union.
“These patriotic men and women worked tirelessly to keep the flying public safe throughout the grounding,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement late Thursday.
The DOT and FAA did not immediately say whether pre-planned time off or fatigue calls would be excluded from bonuses for air traffic controllers and technicians.
During the shutdown, which lasted more than 40 days and was the longest in history, air traffic controllers, who had to work without regular pay, experienced increased absenteeism and airlines were forced to delay or cancel flights. The shutdown will end on November 12, and a bill has been introduced to fund the government until January.
The disruption and additional strain on air traffic controllers caused by the shutdown, many of whom are already required to work six days a week, has sparked a backlash from the airline industry, which urged lawmakers to ensure critical workers are not left without pay if another shutdown occurs.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association, which represents the nation’s air traffic controllers, said it was informed of the cash bonus decision hours before the announcement. The company announced that 311 employees represented by NATCA are eligible for the payments.
“We look forward to working with the administration to provide proper recognition to those who were excluded from the Secretary’s announcement,” the union said in a statement.
The Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, a union representing 11,000 FAA and Defense Department employees, including technicians, said in a statement that it is “reviewing the information provided by the FAA and how best to ensure that all employees who worked during the shutdown are recognized.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said last week that Transportation Security Administration agents who screen passengers at airports will also receive a $10,000 bonus for perfect attendance.
“Despite tremendous personal, professional, and financial hardships, these dedicated police officers came to work every day without pay for more than a month to ensure safe travel for the American people,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a press release.
