Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy urges air traffic controllers to show up for work: ‘Need to go to their jobs’

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has a simple message to air traffic controllers as the government shutdown wreaks havoc on travel across the United States.

“I’m encouraging air traffic controllers to show up for work,” Duffy said on Wednesday during an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper.

Several major airports are experiencing staffing shortages as the shutdown leaves air traffic controllers putting in unpaid hours – leading to an uptick in workers calling out sick.

However, Duffy stressed the importance of air traffic controllers manning their posts.

“They need to go to their jobs,” he told Tapper.  “They need to control the airspace.”

Duffy acknowledged that air traffic controllers could express some “rebellious” behavior over the current situation, but said they would be paid once the shutdown ends.

He also acknowledged the heightened stress they face.

“They are stressed out. They are wondering, how do they put food on the table? How do they pay their mortgages if their paycheck doesn’t come through?” Duffy said.

He also revealed the grave statistics of the spike in staffing-related flight delays in an interview with Fox News’ Will Cain.

“Historically, there’s about 5% of delays attributed to staffing issues in our towers,” Duffy said Wednesday.

“The last couple days, it’s been 53%.”

The Transportation Secretary doubled down on his call-out to airport staffers playing hooky to get back to work, while acknowledging their frustrations.

“They’re working six days a week. They’re keeping America operational, and they’re not guaranteed a paycheck. They’re frustrated by it, and so not coming into work,” he told Cain.

Federal employees considered essential are required to work through the government shutdown, but most will not be paid, including airport workers like TSA staff and air traffic controllers.

More than 14,000 controllers employed by the Federal Aviation Administration are working without pay since the Oct. 1 shutdown.

Several have called in sick due to the missing paychecks, resulting in staffing shortages that have led to staggering flight delays — and a handful of airports’ towers going completely dark for hours.

Staff will receive back pay once the shutdown ends and government reopens, but are on their own as it continues.

Beyond delays at travel hubs such as DC’s Reagan National Airport and Laguardia Airport,roughly 200 remote communities could find themselves cut off from civilization if the government shutdown lingers through the weekend.

The Essential Air Service program (EAS) — which subsidizes flights at more than 170 remote airports across all 50 states – only has enough cash to last through Sunday.

Once funds run dry, they will stop reimbursing smaller airport operations until the federal government reopens, the US Transportation Department announced Monday.

Airports and airlines may have no choice but to shut down – leaving thousands virtually cut off from critical services.

Nashville International Airport’s air traffic control tower went dark Tuesday night amid staff shortages, marking the second tower to close this week.