As CLT air traffic controllers decry $0 paychecks, flight delays keep piling up
Anthony Schifano is still coming to work at Charlotte’s airport. But the air traffic controller is frustrated about receiving a paycheck that’s basically worthless because of the government shutdown.
“Our last paycheck was a partial check, but this one was the first full pay period — it was zero dollars and zero cents,” said Schifano, the Charlotte president for the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.
Tuesday, Oct. 28, marked the first zero-dollar paycheck for air traffic controllers, who are still mandated to work. The shutdown began Oct. 1 after Congress couldn’t agree on a plan to fund government agencies.
This has led to a shortage of air traffic controllers and mounting delays at major airports in regions such as Los Angeles, New York, and Phoenix. At Charlotte Douglas International Airport, more than 5,000 delays have piled up this month, according to a Charlotte Observer review of data from FlightAware, which provides real-time online flight information.
More than 150 flights were delayed on Tuesday and close to 100 flights were delayed around 6 p.m. Wednesday.
There are about 120 people working in the air traffic control unit at CLT.
”We shouldn’t be used as a political pawn in this game, and we should be able to go to work, do our job and get paid for doing the job that we’re performing, not on a structure of IOU,” Schifano said.
In his role with the air traffic association, Schifano handed out leaflets Tuesday about politics disrupting the lives of controllers. NATCA organized informational campaigns at nearly 20 airports nationwide.
“We go to work and talk to airplanes,” he said. “Being in the public eye and handing out flyers is somewhat intimidating. It’s not what we do. But the response from the community and the passengers was very positive.
“You don’t need the distraction of wondering about rent, mortgage, car payments,” he said. “It’s just unfortunate that an air traffic controller in today’s world has to worry about those things as they’re doing one of the most stressful jobs on the planet.”
Even before the shutdown, air traffic control has been historically understaffed and burdened with outdated technology, according to aviation experts. There are around 10,000 certified air traffic controllers, but the nationwide system requires more than 14,000, according to Schifano.
“If you couple that with the government shutdown, the stress level of people wondering if they have to drive Uber or ride-share jobs — those are real things happening across the country,” he said.
Flight delays continue in Charlotte
When it comes to flight delays, Schifano said factors like bad weather or airline issues such as technology glitches can contribute to passengers having to wait longer to board planes. It’s not just staffing shortages.
“Are there delays being caused by shortages of air traffic control facilities? Yes, there are,” he said. “But to say which ones and exactly when it’s happening, as a passenger you wouldn’t know because you might have delays on any given day traveling in this system.”
Those statements were previously echoed by Sheldon Jacobson, a computer science professor and aviation expert from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, The Charlotte Observer reported. Jacobson noted that more than $31 billion is needed to build a new air traffic control system, based on a report from the Department of Transportation to House members.
Boosting spirits for air traffic controllers
As the shutdown continues into the fourth week, morale is also becoming lower.
“You can start to feel the emotion draining out of the facility,” Schifano said. “It’s not as chipper as it normally is ... you’re really just trying to get through the day, do your job and get the hell out of there.”
But Schifano is grateful for the encouragement from people within the aviation community, such as pilots and flight attendants from American Airlines and other companies.
“They’re calling us and saying, ‘Hey, we’re with you,’ ” he said.
Keeping watch on the delays at CLT
Aviation employees are volunteering during peak travel times to provide extra support at security checkpoints, helping direct passengers to open lanes and reminding them of TSA procedures, according to Charlotte airport officials.
Charlotte airport officials said they are not experiencing any immediate impact to their operations, according to a Tuesday statement to The Charlotte Observer. They repeatedly stated that this has been the situation throughout the shutdown.
Charlotte Douglas is the sixth-busiest airport in the world for takeoffs and landings. American Airlines is the dominant carrier at CLT, accounting for about 90% of the traffic.
The shutdown is not having any major impacts on airline operations at Charlotte Douglas, according to an American spokesperson.
American Airlines monitors Hurricane Melissa
Meanwhile, American Airlines is keeping a close watch on Hurricane Melissa after it made landfall in Jamaica.
The airline has issued a travel alert due to Hurricane Melissa, effective since Oct. 24. The alert now covers flights to and from eight airports in the storm’s projected path: Ocho Rios (OCJ) and Montego Bay (MBJ), Jamaica; George Town, Bahamas (GGT); Holguin (HOG) and Santiago de Cuba (SCU), Cuba; Kingston (KIN), Jamaica; and both Providenciales (PLS) and South Caicos (XSC) in Turks and Caicos.
Customers can rebook their travel without a change fee through Nov. 1. Options for rescheduling are available on aa.com, the American mobile app, or by calling Reservations at 800-433-7300. Full details are posted on the airline’s website.
This story was originally published October 30, 2025 at 5:10 AM.
