Air traffic controllers promised fast shutdown pay, but they've been told that before

Air traffic controllers promised fast shutdown pay, but they've been told that before

Joel Rose

November 13, 2025 / 12:17 pm

WASHINGTON — With the federal government open for business again, air traffic controllers can finally get paid for all the work they performed during the 43 days of the shutdown.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says that will happen promptly, with controllers receiving the bulk of their back pay within days.

But some air traffic controllers have not forgotten the last government shutdown in 2018 and 2019, when dozens of controllers sued the federal government for overtime and other compensation they said they were owed.

That lawsuit eventually resulted in a settlement, but it took years. One current air traffic controller told NPR they didn't receive a