Air Traffic Controllers Ask Public for Donations as Shutdown Drags On

Air traffic controllers who missed their paychecks for the first time on Oct. 28 during the ongoing government shutdown gathered at several airports nationwide to ask the public for donations. Controllers passed out leaflets at 20 airports to also ask people to call their congressional representatives and urge them to reopen the government. The effort was organized by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, which represents nearly 20,000 controllers, engineers, and other safety-related professionals across the United States. Association President Nick Daniels joined Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy at New York’s LaGuardia Airport on Tuesday for a press conference about the missing paychecks. The shutdown has strained the nation’s network of air traffic controllers, causing flight delays and cancellations as staff shortages leave some towers without enough support, officials reported....