Illinois Senators Slam FAA Chief for Withholding Air Traffic Controller Pay Raises

POLICY WIRE — Washington, D.C. — Democratic Senators from Illinois, Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin, have issued a scathing critique of FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford for delaying a pay increase for air traffic controllers.

The pay raise was authorized by Congress and signed into law by President Trump this past April, yet the funds have not been released.

In a letter sent Friday, the senators claimed that Bedford is holding the remaining 2.8 percent salary bump hostage to coerce a workforce already burdened by years of mandatory overtime into working even longer hours.

The senators described this tactic as petty, disrespectful and counterproductive.

The dispute follows the FAA’s release of its 2026 Controller Workforce Plan. The agency intends to boost scheduling efficiency, aiming to increase average productive time during an eight-hour shift from four hours to five.

The lawmakers pointed to a Washington Examiner interview where Bedford suggested that changes to workforce utilization and scheduling were necessary to unlock more productivity before the raise could be implemented.

Duckworth, who serves as the ranking Democrat on the Senate Aviation subcommittee, and Durbin, the No. 2 Senate Democrat who retires in January, warned that such pressure would be dangerous.

They argued that attempting to squeeze more utilization from a workforce that is already underpaid, understaffed and overworked would damage retention and compromise aviation safety.

The senators noted that controllers are currently managing a strained system and antiquated technology while simultaneously adapting to modernization efforts in real time.

They emphasized that these professionals make split-second decisions under high stress to ensure the safety of millions of daily passengers.

The letter further criticized Bedford as a cynical administrator who is so focused on stretching the workforce thinner that he is willing to block a modest 2.8 percent raise.

The legislation passed by Congress gave the FAA administrator sole discretion to determine if statutory conditions—such as operational efficiencies or staffing utilization improvements—had been met to address workforce shortages and safety.

Duckworth and Durbin asserted that these requirements are not a high bar, suggesting that the lack of an agreement indicates the FAA’s requests do not actually benefit the controllers.

This conflict comes shortly after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reported a record number of new controller hires this year, noting that the agency has specifically recruited video gamers.

The two senators concluded their letter by demanding that the FAA approve the pay increase for controllers expeditiously.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)