U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Tuesday made an unannounced visit to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), where he met privately with air traffic controllers — just hours after many began missing parts of their paychecks.
His visit came as the federal government shutdown stretched more than 14 days with no clear resolution in sight and frustration mounted among hundreds of thousands of federal workers.
Spotlight on Maryland was granted an exclusive interview with Duffy during the visit. He addressed growing safety concerns, the political stalemate in Washington and the federal workers on the front lines of America’s aviation system.
Asked whether air travel remains safe amid the shutdown and threats from some air traffic controllers to abandon their posts in violation of federal law, Duffy offered reassurance but warned of ripple effects.
Yes, it is safe,” Duffy said. “But you are seeing a few more cancellations and delays in the system, and that’s because of the shutdown.”
“The number one priority for us at DOT and FAA is to make sure people are safe – not necessarily to make sure you get there on time, or to make sure you’re flight isn’t cancelled, but that you get from Point A to Point B safely,” Duffy added.
Air traffic controllers feel the strain
Duffy’s visit came on the first day that many air traffic controllers will began to see partial pay or no pay at all. The transportation secretary acknowledged that unless the shutdown ends soon, thousands of FAA personnel will miss future paychecks entirely, including critical air traffic controllers.
“These are often times heads of households financially,” Duffy said. “They’re responsible for mortgages, car payments, putting food on the table, so there’s an extra layer of stress.
Despite the uncertainty, the control tower at BWI remains fully staffed — one of the few towers in the country still operating at full strength. According to Duffy, morale at BWI remains relatively high, but that doesn’t mean emotions aren’t bubbling over.
“There is a frustration that they have,” Duffy said. “They do their job. They make sure planes stay in the air and are safe, they’re like, ‘Hey Congress, do your job. Why don’t you fight for me in air traffic control, a government employee? Why are you fighting for someone else who may have come across the border unlawfully? Why are you fighting for their health insurance – or why are you fighting for foreign aid?’”
Here at BWI, they show up for work, which is great, but we see other facilities in the airspace where they’re not coming into work because of that frustration,” Duffy added.
Eric Smith, a traveler from Phoenix waiting at BWI on Tuesday afternoon, sided with the federal workers keeping planes in the air. “Government shutdown? I don’t think we need as much government. But air traffic controllers? They absolutely need to get paid. Our safety depends on it.”
Political divide at BWI
Just a week earlier, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and the state’s federal delegation held a high-profile press conference — also at BWI — demanding an end to the shutdown. Surrounded by cameras and microphones, Moore called on federal lawmakers to reopen the government and prioritize the well-being of federal workers.
“This assault on our federal workers is ongoing from the president of the United States, so I’m thankful that we have a federal delegation that is standing firm in saying a prerequisite for keeping the federal government should not be raising premiums by 70%,” Moore said last Wednesday.
Secretary Duffy, in contrast, opted for a different approach — no public remarks, no press conference and only a single interview.
Asked why he avoided the public spectacle, Duffy said he would much rather have had a one-on-one conversation because he thought it was “a better forum.” The transportation secretary then immediately slammed Moore.
“The problem though, is, Wes Moore comes here and says two things: one, I support air traffic controllers, I’m a supporter of government employees and in the next breath, he supports the government shutdown,” Duffy said. “You can’t have it both ways, governor.”
“You either got to support the employees, which means you got to open up the government. Tell your Democratic colleagues in Washington open it up and negotiate, have the conversation. Tell your Democrat colleagues to stop fighting for illegals and their health care, or giving foreign aid to countries for transgender this and all the crazy stuff that they funded,” Duffy added.
I think he is being disingenuous, the governor is,” Duffy said. “It’s slick, it’s impressive, trying to have it both ways – but in the end, the shutdown hurts the government employees, many of which live in his state.”
Spotlight on Maryland reached out to Moore’s office, as well as several members of Maryland’s congressional delegation, for interviews. They did not immediately respond.
What’s next?
Duffy did not offer a timeline for when the shutdown might end, but emphasized that DOT and FAA leadership were doing “everything possible” to mitigate disruptions.
As part of our ongoing coverage, Spotlight on Maryland will release more of our exclusive interview with Duffy later this week, including his take on long-term aviation staffing challenges, the future of rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge, and his concerns about the current political atmosphere.
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