Democratic Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) on Friday sent a letter to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Bryan Bedford, demanding the immediate release of the remaining 2.8% pay raise for air traffic controllers. The raise, part of a $140 million allocation approved by Congress in April, has not been fully implemented despite the agency distributing a 1% increase to federal civilian employees in January.
The senators criticized Bedford’s delay in releasing the funds, which were tied to operational improvements such as staffing, scheduling, and workforce utilization. In their letter, Duckworth and Durbin accused the FAA of using the raise as leverage to extract additional productivity from controllers, who have operated under mandatory overtime for years. They called the tactic “petty, disrespectful, and counterproductive.”
The FAA has stated that the administrator retains sole discretion under the law to implement the raise only after determining that the required operational improvements have been met. Bedford previously told the Washington Examiner that changes in scheduling and workforce utilization could “unlock” the remaining 2.8% raise, framing it as part of broader efficiency efforts outlined in the agency’s 2026 Controller Workforce Plan.
The plan aims to increase the average productive hours per eight-hour shift from four to five by improving scheduling efficiency. However, Duckworth and Durbin argued that such demands risk undermining aviation safety and weakening retention among controllers, who work long, high-stress shifts with antiquated technology while adapting to modernization efforts.
The FAA has not publicly responded to the senators’ letter as of publication.