CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Air traffic controllers gathered at airports across the country Tuesday to educate the public about how the government shutdown is impacting them and their wallets. It came on the same day they received a paycheck for $0.

Members of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) passed out pamphlets at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport Tuesday to ask passengers to urge Congress to end the shutdown immediately.

“Today got real,” said Stephen Cooper, the legislative representative for Charlotte NATCA. “Today is the first official day that we missed a paycheck. Our paychecks are zero today. That hope just went out the window today.”

What You Need To Know

  • Air traffic controllers received a paycheck for $0 Tuesday

  • NATCA said controllers are working second jobs to pay their bills during the shutdown

  • Staffing shortages amid the shutdown have led to delays and flight cancellations

Cooper, who has been an air traffic controller for 21 years, is experiencing his third government shutdown.

“[Being an] air traffic controller is one of the most stressful jobs in America,” Cooper said. “It's a job that we have to be 100% right 100% of the time. We can't make mistakes. We don't have that luxury. To have a government shutdown on top of the stresses that we already have is decimating not only the morale, but it introduces unnecessary risk to the system.”

Air traffic controllers have been working without pay since the shutdown began earlier this month. They received a partial paycheck weeks ago, but are not expected to receive any additional funds until the shutdown ends.

“We're seeing that people are outside of their shift going to do other jobs,” said Anthony Schifano, the president of Charlotte NATCA. “Some people are doing DoorDash. Some people are doing Uber.”

Staffing shortages led to delays and flight cancellations at airports across the country.

More than 60 flights were delayed and several were canceled in Charlotte as of Tuesday afternoon. More than 35 flights were delayed at Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Cooper said controllers have been asked to work overtime to make up for staffing shortages. He and his colleagues are hopeful the shutdown will end soon.

“We're not responsible for the shutdown,” Schifano said. “We're not responsible for ending the shutdown. Our ask is that the politicians do their job and end the shutdown for us.”

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