Pilots Sending Free Food to Air Traffic Controllers During Shutdown

They’re keeping the skies safe without a paycheck — and now, airline pilots are sending lunch as a thank you.

Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, told Business Insider on Thursday that airline pilots, flight attendants, and even their Canadian counterparts are buying and delivering free food to air traffic controllers caught in the crosshairs of a government shutdown.

Pete LeFevre, a union representative and controller based in Washington, D.C., said his facility received pizzas from the Air Line Pilots Association, a labor union representing over 80,000 pilots.

When contacted by Business Insider, ALPA confirmed the gesture, saying the organization has been doing this “almost daily.”

Social media posts on Thursday show Alaska Airlines pilots sent pizza to the ATC tower at San Francisco International Airport, and Delta Air Lines pilots sent food to every tower and arrivals facilities serving their hubs.

The Association of Flight Attendants, a union representing over 50,000 crew members, has also contributed, Daniels said. Teamsters Local 357, a union that represents flight crew at regional carrier Republic Airways, told Business Insider it has been delivering food to controllers in Indianapolis, where the airline is headquartered.

“We have received deliveries on multiple occasions,” LeFevre said. “Here we have airline pilots, flight attendants, and companies that are all rallying around their air traffic controllers. Now we just need the government to rally around us, too.”

Daniels said even controllers in Canada have sent meals in solidarity with their American counterparts, same as they did during the 2019 shutdown.

Meanwhile, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sent pizza to controllers at Newark Liberty International Airport during a visit earlier this month.

Working without pay is creating strain for controllers

Since the shutdown began on October 1, controllers have received a partial paycheck but expect to see $0 on their October 28 pay stubs.

They are expected to receive back pay once the shutdown resolves, but LaFevre said that free food — while greatly appreciated — doesn’t address other short-term issues, such as rent, mortgages, car payments, and childcare.

He added that some controllers are turning to gig work to make ends meet.

“The babysitter doesn’t take an IOU,” he said. “We’re all going to be faced with tough decisions. On my one day off, am I going to go and drive for Uber, Uber Eats, Instacart, so I can make my payments?”

He said that these side hustle ideas are a common topic of conversation in the break room and could become a reality should the shutdown drag on.

And this could exacerbate fatigue among a workforce already working one of the most stressful jobs out there.

An air traffic controller, who asked to remain anonymous due to concerns about potential retaliation, but whose identity has been confirmed, told Business Insider that “sick leave for fatigue is very real.”

“If you worked our schedule, you’d notice serious impacts to sleep and quality of life, and your immune system takes a noticeable and seriously concerning hit,” they said. “When you throw children into the mix, it sometimes feels like managing life outside ATC is more complicated than at work.”

Air traffic controllers work up to 10-hour shifts and six days a week, often with mandatory overtime — a common reality already plaguing controllers before the shutdown as they face a nationwide shortage.

The controller said that’s “one and a half years’ worth of work in just one,” and that overtime pay isn’t calculated into their retirement.

Amid the shutdown, aviation safety consultant Anthony Brickhouse said that there shouldn’t be safety concerns quite yet, but said that “the longer this situation plays out, it could definitely turn into a safety threat.”

The air traffic controller also told Business Insider not to worry about safety, but the public should be aware of how much controllers are working overtime — up to 20 hours a week — to keep the national airspace moving.