Aviation system begins to feel stress from the shutdown, union leaders say

“Right now, we are asking our controllers to maintain the safety and efficiency of the system without the necessary contribution of 3,000 safety professionals,” Rinaldi said in a letter to House and Senate leaders. “We wouldn’t ask a surgeon to perform an operation without the assistance of a support team, and we shouldn’t be asking air traffic controllers to continue working without support staff.”

Federal Aviation Administration workers on Thursday articulated Rinaldi’s fears.

They said about 6,300 projects, many of them safety-related, have been stalled by the shutdown. Workers who supply technical expertise in support of day-to-day controller operations also have been furloughed.