FAA limits $10K bonus eligibility to just 776 workers out of 20,000 employees

WASHINGTON, DC: The Federal Aviation Administration will grant a bonus of $10,000 to only a group of 776 employees who worked without pay during the recent government shutdown, while excluding approximately 20,000 other workers, including many air traffic controllers and technicians. Meanwhile, the Secretary of Homeland Security announced $10,000 bonuses to outstanding TSA officers on Saturday, November 22.

This decision comes after many air traffic controllers resigned, found alternative employment, or faced significant financial distress during the prolonged shutdown, amid reports of airport delays and mandated flight reductions at 40 major hubs.

Kristi Noem announces $10,000 bonuses for exemplary TSA officers

Three days after the FAA announcement, on Saturday, November 22, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced that the Department will be awarding $10,000 bonuses to outstanding TSA officers across the country who performed exceptionally well working without pay during the recent government shutdown under the previous Democratic administration

In a video posted to X from a TSA checkpoint, Noem stood at a Department of Homeland Security podium surrounded by uniformed TSA officers and thanked them for their dedication. She declared, “Under the leadership of @POTUS Trump, we are giving a $10,000 bonus to exemplary TSA officers across our nation who went above and beyond their performance during the Democrats’ shutdown.”

She concluded her praise by saying, “They kept this country moving, secure, and they never blinked in their mission. President Trump and I are so proud of these patriots!”

Only 776 FAA staff to receive shutdown bonus payout

Early this week, the FAA said that only 776 employees who kept working during the government shutdown without getting paid would receive the $10,000 bonus suggested by Donald Trump, while excluding about 20,000 other employees.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy defended the bonuses as a reward for the devotion of “these few workers” who never missed a shift during the 43-day shutdown. On X, Duffy posted, “Santa’s coming to town a little early. These patriotic men and women never missed a beat and kept the flying public safe throughout the shutdown.”

While President Trump did suggest bonuses for those who worked, in an additional social media post he said controllers who stayed home should have their pay cut, though FAA officials have not announced any plans to penalize employees.

Unions blast FAA bonus plan for excluding most workers

The FAA bonuses have also sparked outrage among employee unions due to their limited scope. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association noted that the bonuses will be awarded to only 311 of its more than 10,000 members.

The union said it was deeply concerned, stating, “We are concerned that the thousands of air traffic controllers who came to work every day during the shutdown, guiding passengers and cargo safely around the nation, while not receiving their pay and not knowing when they would again receive pay, were overlooked in this recognition. More than 311 of these committed professionals kept America moving.”

The union, Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, said the thousands of technicians it represents toiled behind the scenes during the shutdown to keep the old computer and radar systems running and that all deserve credit. The union stressed the teamwork involved in maintaining safety, adding in a statement: “It took many hands to ensure that not one delay during the historic 43-day shutdown was attributed to equipment or system failures.”