The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed Thursday that only 776 of America’s more than 10,000 air traffic controllers will receive the promised $10,000 bonus for working without pay during the 43-day government shutdown, with eligibility restricted exclusively to those who maintained perfect attendance throughout the crisis.

As the shutdown stretched beyond a month, financial desperation forced hundreds of controllers to call in sick or take unpaid leave, unable to cover childcare, fuel, or basic living expenses without a paycheck. Their absences triggered widespread flight delays, forced the FAA to impose capacity cuts at 40 major airports, and heightened safety concerns after multiple near-miss incidents and pilot reports of delayed or unclear instructions from overstressed towers.

President Donald Trump had publicly floated the idea of substantial bonuses for controllers who “stayed on the job,” while simultaneously suggesting that those who missed shifts should face pay deductions. Although the FAA has not announced any punitive measures, the final bonus criteria—zero absences regardless of personal hardship—has drawn sharp criticism for rewarding endurance rather than acknowledging the broader sacrifice made by the entire workforce.

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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy defended the decision, describing the 776 recipients as “patriotic men and women who never missed a beat and kept the flying public safe.” He emphasised that the selective bonuses recognise extraordinary dedication at a time when the agency was already operating with critically low staffing levels, with many controllers routinely working mandatory six-day weeks and ten-hour shifts long before the shutdown began.

Since the shutdown ended, staffing has gradually stabilised and normal flight schedules have resumed nationwide. However, the bonus controversy has reignited debate over chronic understaffing, lengthy training pipelines, and the human cost of political impasses, with unions warning that the episode has permanently eroded morale among a profession already facing record burnout and retirement rates.

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