An additional 2,300 United States flights were cancelled on Monday as President Donald Trump publicly threatened to dock the pay of air traffic controllers who called in sick during the ongoing government shutdown.

Following Trump’s criticism of absent aviation workers as unpatriotic, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association labor union countered, hailing members who were working without pay as “unsung heroes” in a statement that called on Congress to immediately end the shutdown.

The union stressed, “Enough is enough.” This public disagreement underscores the increasing strain on the aviation industry as the record-breaking shutdown reached its forty-first day, though hope for a resolution this week was rising as a compromise bill advanced in Congress.

The air traffic control system was already struggling with understaffing before the shutdown and is now facing a surge in passengers due to upcoming Thanksgiving holiday travel. Beyond Monday’s 2,300 cancellations, the website FlightAware reported that more than 8,700 flights involving US airports were delayed.

Furthermore, carriers have already scrapped 1,100 flights scheduled for Tuesday, according to the flight tracker.

Last week, the Trump administration ordered 10 percent reductions in flights at dozens of airports, including some of the nation’s busiest, citing “staffing triggers.” On Monday, Trump took to social media to warn that controllers who fail to return to work “will be substantially ‘docked.’”

He demanded on his Truth Social platform, “All Air Traffic Controllers must get back to work, NOW!!!”
In the same social media statement, Trump said he was recommending a bonus of $10,000 to the “GREAT PATRIOTS” who did not take time off during the shutdown.

His post appeared just as the air traffic controller union was wrapping up a press conference, timed to the second consecutive zero-dollar paycheck received by its members. Union president Nick Daniels referred to an emerging congressional deal as a “right step in the right direction.”

Daniels, who has used increasingly dire language since federal funding first lapsed on October 1, stated, “Air traffic controllers should not be the political pawn during a government shutdown.”

A NATCA statement released later on Monday, in response to Trump’s social media threat, maintained that controllers “deserve our praise.”

The union emphasized, “This nation’s air traffic controllers have been working without pay for over 40 days,” adding, “The vast majority of these highly trained and skilled professionals continue to perform one of the most stressful and demanding jobs in the world, despite not being compensated. Many are working six-day weeks and ten-hour days without any pay.”

Democratic congressman Rick Larsen called Trump’s comments “nuts.”

The Democrat from Washington state said, “The women and men working long hours in air traffic control towers to keep the aviation system running deserve our thanks and appreciation, not unhinged attacks on their patriotism.”

Hours later, during a phone-in interview with Fox News, Trump reiterated his commitment to the bonuses but admitted he was unsure of the funding source. “I don’t know. I’ll get it from someplace…I always get the money from someplace,” the President said, concluding, “Regardless, it doesn’t matter.”

Prospects for ending the longest shutdown in US history appeared brighter on Monday after a sufficient number of Democrats in the US Senate joined Republicans to approve a bill to fund the government through January. However, Daniels noted that after a lengthy shutdown in 2019, it took two and a half months for all controllers to receive back pay.

He added that meanwhile, “January 30 will loom around the corner,” referencing the uncertainty about what would follow the next spending bill’s expiration. Daniels was joined at the press event by Amy Lark, who works at an air traffic facility in Virginia.

Her family is having to manage without two paychecks, as Lark’s husband also works for the agency. Lark shared the emotional toll: “Yesterday, my kids asked me how long we could stay in our house. Having to answer that question was heartbreaking.”

The cutbacks are also forcing air travelers to adjust. At Miami International Airport, Jack Nicks commented, “It’s a little crazy this morning,” adding that he double-checked to confirm his flight was ready for takeoff.

He also noted, “I have other friends that are flying today. They’ve already had three flight changes. So it’s a little rough.”