How the government shutdown is affecting the FAA

Most FAA employees will remain on the job, according to plans published by the U.S. Department of Transportation on September 30, the day before the shutdown began.

The FAA has furloughed 11,322 of its 44,829 employees under the plan. Most of the 33,000 that remain on the job will go without pay until the government shutdown ends, including 13,294 controllers.

ATC hiring and field training will also continue, and the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City will remain open. In addition, the agency will continue to issue medical certificates, and the aircraft registry will remain functioning. The shutdown plan also exempts the $12.5 billion down payment allocated toward ATC modernization efforts.

“We hope Congress will find a way to resolve this situation as quickly as possible,” said AOPA President Darren Pleasance. “Secretary Sean Duffy has done an admirable job leading the Department of Transportation and doing all he can to continue to hire more controllers and address the needed upgrades to our air traffic system. The FAA also has a proven leader in Administrator Bryan Bedford, who is working diligently to move FAA in the right direction. These shutdowns don’t help—that’s for certain.”

Since 2013, there have been three government shutdowns, which lasted 16, three, and 35 days, respectively.