WASHINGTON
\nPresident Donald Trump on Monday demanded air traffic controllers return to work as travellers endured another day of flight cancellations, which the administration ordered to manage staff shortages during the government shutdown.
\nThreatening to curtail the pay of any controller who did not go back, Trump said he would award those who had not taken time off during the 41-day shutdown $10,000 bonuses and would welcome the resignations of the rest. \u201cAll Air Traffic Controllers must get back to work, NOW!!! Anyone who doesn\u2019t will be substantially \u2018docked,\u2019\u201d Trump wrote on social media. \u201cREPORT TO WORK IMMEDIATELY.\u201d
\nThe shutdown, the longest in US history, has forced 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration agents to work without pay. Some are absent as they work second jobs or cannot afford child care. Some 20% to 40% of controllers have been absent on any given day at the 30 biggest US airports during the shutdown, the FAA said last week.
\nShares of the biggest US airlines, including American Airlines, Delta Airlines, and United Airlines, turned negative after Trump\u2019s social media post.
\nOfficials said it was unclear how the White House could deny pay under the controllers\u2019 union contract once the government reopens, as Trump threatened, or how the president would pay for the proposed $10,000 bonuses.
\nAirlines cancelled nearly 2,000 flights on Monday, and the number was set to rise as the FAA ordered flight cuts to step up to 10% on Friday. A winter storm in Chicago was also disrupting air travel.
\nFlightAware, a flight-tracking website, said by 3 pm ET (1800 GMT), 5,825 flights were also delayed Monday after 2,950 flights were cancelled and nearly 11,200 delayed Sunday in the single worst day for flight disruptions since the government shutdown began on October 1.
\nStaffing issues worsened over the weekend, and the number of air-traffic control centres with staff shortages rose to 81 on Saturday, the peak since October 1, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Sunday.
\nAsked about Trump\u2019s comments, National Air Traffic Controllers Association President Nick Daniels said Monday controllers would appreciate any recognition. \u201cWe\u2019ll work with the administration …. Air traffic controllers will continue to show up during this shutdown,\u201d he said.
\nTrump scolded controllers who have taken time off and called those who have continued to work \u201cGREAT PATRIOTS.\u201d Representative Rick Larsen, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives committee overseeing the FAA, said the controllers \u201cdeserve our thanks and appreciation, not unhinged attacks on their patriotism.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
WASHINGTON President Donald Trump on Monday demanded air traffic controllers return to work as travellers endured another day of flight cancellations, which the administration ordered to manage staff shortages during the government shutdown. Threatening to curtail the pay of any controller who did not go back, Trump said he would award those who had not […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":505517,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-513992","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n