The Federal Aviation Administration announced Thursday that it will distribute $10,000 bonuses to 776 air traffic controllers and technicians who maintained perfect attendance during the 43-day government shutdown.
The FAA currently employs more than 46,000 employees, including more than 14,000 air traffic controllers.
“Santa’s coming to town a little early,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wrote on X, adding that the selected workers kept the system operating during what he called extraordinary circumstances.
Santa’s coming to town a little early🎄🎅
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) November 21, 2025
President Trump wanted to give air traffic controllers and technicians BONUSES for showing up to work EVERY DAY during the government shutdown… and TODAY IS THE DAY!
776 patriotic men and women will get $10K checks, just in time for… pic.twitter.com/r9CHT0UyF7
The agency said the payments, which will be sent no later than Dec. 9, follow a directive from the administration to recognize employees who worked throughout the period without pay. Recipients will be notified during the week of Nov. 24.
Department of Homeland Security officials announced a similar $10,000 bonus package last week for TSA agents who demonstrated “exemplary service.”
The record-long shutdown introduced significant staffing strains that prompted widespread delays and temporary flight reductions at 40 major airports after controllers began missing shifts, often due to financial pressures.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said in a statement that he was “profoundly proud and grateful” for those who sustained operations, calling their efforts “the highest levels of public service.”
Unions representing controllers and technicians said thousands of personnel who worked during the shutdown will not receive bonuses.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) told ABC News that 311 of its members qualified, while emphasizing that many others continued reporting for duty without knowing when they would be paid.
“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,” the union said.
The Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS) union said 423 technicians will receive bonuses, noting that “many hands” kept equipment operating.
Union officials said they hope to work with the Transportation Department on recognizing additional employees who staffed facilities throughout the shutdown.
I kid you not. You have no idea how insulting it is when you call, consider, or group management together with actual Air Traffic Controllers. There is a very deep divide between the two parties. Please get your facts correct before posting.
This was a very bad idea and will do nothing to improve the morale at ATC facilities. It will create ill feelings between those that got checks and those that didn’t. Whoever came up with this policy has no idea of the dynamics of a large workgroup or how to manage one.
Hmm yeah, you know we could prevent that by just firing everyone who didn’t come to work, replace them with far superior military controllers, and move on with fewer accidents and more competent controllers. Reagan did that and it worked fabulously. Better yet we could privatize the whole system…
Wow, comments here are few and surprisingly negative!
I for one am deeply grateful for all the controllers and especially those who had such perfect attendance, IIRC just under 10%.
Well done, people, and well earned!
This is exactly what Im thinking. Fire the lot of them and reload
Im grateful as well … for those that did their jobs! For those that called in sick when they wasn’t … Id fire them on the spot! Every damn on of the deadbeats! Anyone that called in for ANY bogus reason ..FIRE THEM!
Hah, did you get to fly during this debacle? I am very grateful for the few who went to work. The ones who didn’t created a massive mess for everyone, and left us to try and clean it up. Military controllers are much better, and they train much faster too. Let’s just roll with them.
I have no problem with this payment for thoes that worked every shift without pay.
Military controllers are definitely not used to the volume and complexity of traffic at major civil airports. They definitely aren’t superior controllers, mostly because of lack of experience. The only thing that worked fabulously after the strike was the curtailing of flights and implementation of a traffic management system. The shortages and issues that the ATC system faces today are the direct result of Reagan’s firing of controllers in 1981, something that the controllers’ union and the GAO have been warning administrations about for the past 25 years. I’m not saying that it was wrong to fire those controllers, but it hurt the system a lot, from which it has never fully recovered. I blame every administration from George W. Bush onward for not listening to its own government agency and NATCA about the inevitable staffing shortfall.
Even worse, if there is another shutdown, it will encourage controllers to show up for work when they are not fit for duty. Sick leave is common with controllers due to the high health standards. Supervisors will send you home if they think you’re sick. You can be put on sick leave if you’re prescribed certain medications (doesn’t matter if you take them… just being prescribed can be disqualifying).
Sounds SO much like grade school!