Illinois senators blast FAA administrator for holding air traffic controller raises "hostage"

Key Points:

• Illinois Democratic Senators Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin criticized FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford for delaying a 2.8% pay raise for air traffic controllers, which Congress approved and was signed into law by President Trump in April.
• The Homeland Security and Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act allocated $140 million for a 3.8% pay raise, but controllers have only received the standard 1% government employee raise so far, with the FAA linking the remaining raise to improvements in workforce scheduling and efficiency.
• The senators argue that withholding the pay raise to force longer working hours is disrespectful and counterproductive, warning it could harm retention and aviation safety amid ongoing staffing shortages and high-stress conditions for controllers.
• The FAA stated that the pay raise depends on achieving operational improvements as determined by the administrator, while the National Air Traffic Controllers Association continues to advocate for the pay increase and improvements in working conditions.
• Despite staffing challenges, the FAA has recently hired a record number of controllers, partly by recruiting video gamers, but the pay raise delay is causing morale issues among controllers, prompting calls from senators for immediate approval of the raise.