By Josh Marcus

Copyright independent

“Problem children” air traffic controllers who call in sick during the government shutdown could be fired, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Thursday.

“I think what’s happening here, 90 percent of the controllers, they show up, they come to work, but 10 percent of them are lashing out,” Duffy told Fox Business on Thursday.

“It’s a small fraction of people who don’t come to work that can create this massive disruption and that’s what you’re seeing rippling through our skies today,” he added.

Air traffic controllers are considered essential government workers and continue to work without pay during federal government shutdowns.

The Independent has contacted the National Air Traffic Controllers Association union for comment.

Since the shutdown began just over a week ago, airports across the country have struggled with thousands of flight delays and staffing shortages.

On Thursday, a facility routing air traffic through the Fort Worth, Texas, region reported an hour-long staffing shortage, while six Federal Aviation Administration facilities had shortages the day before, including the towers at Denver International and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated with new information.