Air traffic controllers have slammed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s claims that high rates of controller sick calls have led to days of delays and disruption across the Northeast, saying that “patently false” allegations have been made against overworked and understaffed staffers who oversee the busiest and most complex airspace system in the world.
Just hours after Duffy laid the blame on air traffic chaos across the Northeast on controllers calling out sick in the New York area, two nominees hoping to lead the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) hit back in a strongly worded statement.
Nicholas Marangos and Stephen Brown, who are running to become the union’s president and executive vice president, respectively, blasted: “When patently false claims are made about our profession, our members, or the state of the National Airspace System, we cannot sit idly by and hope the truth wins out on its own. It won’t.”
While severe Summer weather has been the root cause of many delays and cancellations in the Northeast, Duffy said in a post on X on Saturday: “For any travelers flying in and out of the Northeast — please be prepared for delays and cancellations due to controllers calling out sick on top of difficult weather patterns.”
Duffy added: “When roughly 40-60% of controllers call out sick at multiple facilities in the New York region, we have to delay flights to maintain the safety of the airspace.”
On Sunday, the Federal Aviation Administration...
Air traffic controllers have slammed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s claims that high rates of controller sick calls have led to days of delays and disruption across the Northeast, saying th...