Copyright The New York Times
One air traffic controller earns cash by hanging Christmas lights for his neighbors. Another stocks grocery store shelves for six hours before heading in for his shift. A third drives for DoorDash after clocking out. Hundreds of air traffic controllers across the United States have taken on second jobs driving for Uber and Lyft, delivering food, or working in restaurants as the government shutdown stretches past five weeks, according to the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, a union that represents nearly 20,000 aviation safety professionals. Struggling to pay their bills and put food on the table, controllers, who must work without pay during the shutdown, say they remain dedicated to keeping air travel safe but are running ragged trying to support themselves and their families. “I’m broken down. I’m sore. I’m mentally drained,” said one controller at an airport in the Southeast, who has spent nearly all his free time this week — almost 40 hours — hanging Christmas lights for pay. “There’s some times where I felt like just going into the corner and crying because it’s been pretty tough to push through the physical pain, the tiredness and waking up the next day having to do it all over again.” The controller, like others interviewed for this article, spoke on the condition of anonymity out of concern that making frank comments about the Federal Aviation Administration could get him fired. Nick Daniels, NATCA’s president, said in an interview that controllers working other jobs in their spare time “absolutely” made the air traffic system less safe. But he added that he understood, as mortgage and car payments come due, that many controllers have few other options. “They need to do whatever is best for them and their families,” he said. “I’m not here to judge people on what is going to help them.” Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
