Federal Airport Staff Continues Working Without Pay as the Shutdown Drags On

As the federal government shutdown enters its sixth week, Denver International Airport (DEN) is stepping up to mitigate some of the fallout. The airport has formally asked the FAA for permission to use its own revenue to pay air traffic controllers in hopes of skirting new capacity reductions implemented across 40 major airports.

The proposal offers to cover wages for essential personnel until the shutdown ends, with the understanding that the FAA would reimburse the airport once federal funding resumes. As if routing thousands of giant hunks of metal going 250 knots through busy airspace wasn’t rough enough, controllers across the country are now doing it for a whopping zero-dollar paycheck. Reports of sick callouts, staff shortages, and fatigue have spiked.

"As the shutdown drags on, air traffic controllers, in particular, are being stressed unnecessarily," said Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington. "As part of our airport family, it's our hope that we can reduce the hardship on them by covering their wages during the shutdown, with reimbursement by the FAA later."

The controllers themselves aren’t the only concern. Denver International “is maybe the largest economic driver in the Rocky Mountain West” and is “critical to not just our quality of life, but to our economic health,” explained Mayor Mike Johnston.

Colorado’s congressional delegation has backed the airport’s plan, sending a letter to FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford urging immediate approval. The letter, signed by Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet along with five members of Congress, described the proposal as a “temporary lifeline” for the workers maintaining safety and reliability in the National Airspace System. The delegation also asked that the FAA protect Denver from penalties for stepping in to protect operations during the funding lapse.

If approved, Denver would become the first (but hopefully not the last) major airport in the US to directly pay federal aviation personnel during a government shutdown.

FMI: www.flydenver.com