Government shutdowns are harmful to the National Airspace System and weaken the U.S. economy. They are also stressful and distracting for the nearly 20,000 air traffic controllers and other aviation safety professionals represented by my organization — the National Air Traffic Controllers Association — the vast majority of whom work without pay during shutdowns.

As the current shutdown continues into its fourth week, these highly-skilled aviation safety professionals are bracing for their first missed paycheck today.

Every day, controllers ensure the safe and efficient movement of more than 45,000 flights, nearly 3 million passengers and approximately 60,000 tons of cargo across more than 29 million square miles of airspace. During the shutdown, controllers continue to show up and perform their safety-critical functions at the highest level despite operating 3,800 fully certified controllers short of the Federal Aviation Administration’s staffing target.

The controller workforce has been understaffed for more than a decade, resulting in

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