Officials at Denver International Airport this week asked the FAA if they can use airport revenue to fund wages for air traffic controllers working there.
The airport is requesting a temporary waiver to a law that prevents airports from paying air traffic controllers and other federal workers. Controllers, together with TSA agents, customs officials, and other essential federal employees, have not received a full paycheck since the federal government shut down on Oct. 1. The lack of funding is exacerbating longstanding staffing shortages in the air traffic control system, leading to flight delays and cancellations.
“As the shutdown drags on, air traffic controllers, in particular, are being stressed unnecessarily,” airport CEO Phil Washington said in a statement. “As part of our airport family, it’s our hope that we can reduce the hardship on them by covering their wages during the shutdown, with reimbursement by the FAA later.”
The airport would seek compensation for the covered wages once the government fully reopens.
Washington said the airport’s leadership would like to provide wage support for all of the roughly 1,800 federal workers at Denver, but “given the number of federal employees, we are only able to support controllers at this time.”
The airport has also set up a food and essentials pantry for federal workers. It is now seeking donations from the general public and will accept non-perishable food, cooking and baking essentials, toiletries, household goods, baby supplies, and pet food.
Denver is one of 40 U.S. airports where the FAA is cutting flight traffic. A 4% reduction went into effect Friday, and further cuts will be made over the coming week if the federal government does not reopen in that time.
