FAA Awards $10,000 Bonuses to 776 for Shutdown Attendance

The Federal Aviation Administration announced Thursday that 776 air traffic controllers and technicians will receive $10,000 bonuses for maintaining perfect attendance throughout the 43-day government shutdown earlier this year, a move aimed at recognizing their service despite working without pay.

The bonuses, totaling payments to 311 controllers and 423 technicians, are scheduled to be distributed no later than December 9. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy highlighted the recipients' dedication in a statement, saying, "These patriotic men and women never missed a beat and kept the flying public safe throughout the shutdown." The initiative stems from a suggestion by President Donald Trump, who proposed the awards in a social media post to honor workers who reported for duty every day.

The partial government shutdown, which lasted from December 22, 2018, to January 25, 2019, forced approximately 13,000 air traffic controllers and thousands of support technicians to work without compensation amid ongoing budget disputes. Financial pressures mounted as the impasse extended beyond a month, leading many federal employees to face difficulties covering essentials like childcare,...