Air traffic controllers union leaders warn government shutdown risks air travel safety

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) organized informational leafleting at 20 airports nationwide on Oct. 28 as the shutdown entered its fourth week and controllers received their first zero-dollar paycheck. Controllers leafleting sought to educate travelers about how the shutdown continues to impact efficiency and introduce risk into the National Airspace System (NAS). The effort generated massive media coverage in both the national and local markets. View the video here. |

On the day air traffic controllers received their first partial paycheck, NATCA members mobilized across four airports, launching an informational leafletting campaign to alert and educate the flying public about the long term effects the government shutdown has on the nation’s air safety professionals. Members handed out leaflets on Tuesday, Oct. 14, at Washington National Airport (DCA), LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in New York City, Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), and O’Hare International