Trump warns air traffic controllers to return to work ‘immediately’

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Washington: US President Donald Trump on Monday warned air traffic controllers to get back to work “immediately”, as passengers faced another day of flight cancellations due to staff shortages during the government shutdown.

Threatening to cut the pay of any controller who didn’t go back, Trump said he would award those who didn’t take time off during the 41-day shutdown $10,000 bonuses and welcome the resignations of the rest.

“ALL AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS MUST GO BACK TO WORK!!! Anyone who is not up to the mark,” Trump wrote on social media, “report to work immediately.”

The shutdown, the longest in U.S. history, has forced 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration agents to work without pay. Some are absent because they work other jobs or cannot afford childcare.

The FAA reported last week that 20% to 40% of controllers have been absent on any given day at 30 major U.S. airports during the shutdown.

Shares of the largest U.S. airlines, American Airlines AAL.O, Delta Air Lines Dal.N and United Airlines, turned negative after Trump’s social media post.

Officials said it was unclear whether the White House could withhold pay under the controllers union contract after the government reopens, as Trump had threatened, or how the president would pay the proposed $10,000 bonus.

Airlines canceled nearly 2,000 flights on Monday, and that number increased after the FAA ordered flight cuts to go up to 10 percent on Friday. A winter storm in Chicago was also disrupting air travel.

As of 3 p.m. ET (1800 GMT), 5,825 flights were also delayed after 2,950 were canceled on Monday and nearly 11,200 were delayed in the worst single day for flight disruptions since the government shutdown began on Oct. 1, FlightWire, the flight-tracking website, said.

Secretary Sean Duffy said on Sunday that the staffing situation had worsened over the weekend and the number of air traffic control centers had risen to 81 with staff shortages.

Asked about Trump’s comments, Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said Monday that controllers would appreciate any recognition. “We will work closely with the administration … air traffic controllers will continue to demonstrate during this shutdown,” he said.

Trump scolded controllers who have taken time off and called those who continue to work “great patriots.” Rep. Rick Larsen, the top Democrat on the House committee that oversees the FAA, said the controllers “deserve our thanks and appreciation, not a crude attack on their patriotism.”

‘Simply unacceptable,’ says US CEO

The airlines urged the U.S. Senate to move forward on Sunday with quick passage of a bill that would reopen the government. It was unclear when Duffy would lift the flight restrictions.

“The government shutdown must end and so must the disruption our customers and federal employees are being forced to endure,” said Southwest CEO Bob Jordan.

American Airlines said more than 250,000 customers had their flights canceled or delayed over the weekend. “This is simply unacceptable and everyone deserves better,” U.S. Chief Operating Officer David Seymour told employees.

The FAA directed airlines to cut 4 percent of daily flights starting at 40 major airports last week. It will increase to 6% on Tuesday and then hit 10% on Friday.

Even before the shutdown, the FAA was about 3,500 air traffic controllers short of staffing target levels. Many were working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks. Duffy has sought to retain controllers who can retire, expedite hiring and conduct a $12.5 billion overhaul of the air traffic control system.

The FAA also said late Sunday that it was suspending private aircraft traffic at 12 airports with shortages of air traffic control personnel, including Chicago O’Hare and Reagan Washington National.