NATCA STATEMENT: Second Week of Government Shutdown Means More Negative Effects on Aviation – (10/7/2013)

CONTACT: Sarah Dunn, 202-220-9813

Air traffic controllers are consummate safety professionals and they continue to go to work every day, without pay, to ensure our nation’s aviation system is operating safely and efficiently. But the uncertainty created by this shutdown is only adding to an already stressful work environment. Promises of back pay amount to nothing more than IOU’s while bills pile up and frustration mounts. Additionally, we remain extremely concerned about the thousands of aviation safety professionals who are prohibited from doing their jobs while the shutdown drags on. These workers provide a critical layer of safety that is necessary to keep our national airspace operating at full capacity. The longer this shutdown goes on, the greater the long-term damage will be. This has gone on long enough. NATCA joins the millions of Americans who are calling for an end to the shutdown now.