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PASS On the Nationwide Ground Stop

Yesterday, the U.S. air traffic control system experienced only the second nationwide ground stop since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. PASS is grateful to the dedicated federal employees it represents at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) who worked tirelessly to assess the situation and help get to the root of the problem. They participated in multiple phone conferences and were testing the systems to get them back online and planes back in the air as quickly and safely as possible.

The issue was isolated to two contractor owned and maintained routers that were being updated mid-day. Historically contractors have followed a protocol where FAA employees conduct a risk assessment and coordinate the maintenance of the system or equipment. PASS-represented technicians were not involved in the upgrades that led to the ground stop yesterday.

November 15, 2026

PASS Activists on Capitol Hill

Nearly 60 PASS legislative activists from across the country fanned out on Capitol Hill on September 29, meeting with members of Congress and their staff, carrying three important messages to lawmakers:

1) Keep the government open and provide the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with predictable, full-year funding. PASS represents 11,000 FAA employees. All FAA employees perform mission-critical work every day to keep the National Airspace System (NAS) safe and operational. Government shutdowns disrupt hiring, training, maintenance, modernization, safety oversight and other essential functions. Shutdowns also create uncertainty for the workforce, taking a toll on working families. Congress should provide the FAA with a full-year appropriation and ensure employees do not face the uncertainty of missing a paycheck.

2) Invest in the FAA workforce by recruiting, hiring, training, and ultimately retaining these highly skilled employees. PASS urges Congress to recognize that staffing of all FAA positions is critical to the health of the aviation safety ecosystem. A professional, trained FAA workforce is needed to protect the nation’s airspace and the American flying public. The FAA’s FY2027 budget request recognizes the need to strengthen its workforce.

October 6, 2026

FAA Employees Represented by PASS Served With Distinction on 9/11

On a crystal clear late summer morning 25 years ago, the 11,000 employees PASS represents at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) were on the job as usual, working for the American public. What transpired that day changed our nation and the aviation industry forever. In the days, weeks and months following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, these employees went above and beyond their usual selfless dedication to their work.

PASS National President Dave Spero was at work in Oklahoma on 9/11. “I witnessed the remarkable professionalism of my co-workers and air traffic controllers to secure facilities and bring aircraft in safely,” he said.

Over 4,000 planes were grounded, and those in the air were directed to the closest airport. PASS members and bargaining unit employees staffed phones to address pilot, mechanic and public concerns. They monitored airports and facilities around the clock, coordinating extraordinary mandates from the White House, Department of Transportation and the FAA. At the request of the Department of Defense, these dedicated public servants staffed long-range radars throughout the country and worked with the Air Force to provide additional radar surveillance, data and voice communication capability to the military.

September 10, 2026

Federal Employee 2027 Pay Freeze Could Impact ATC Modernization

Today, the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, AFL-CIO (PASS) criticized the announcement last week that the civilian federal workforce will receive no pay increase for calendar year 2027.

Under the Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act, the president is required to submit an alternative pay plan by September 1 of each year in order to keep larger raises from taking effect. In a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Thursday, the president submitted a plan that would freeze the pay of the federal workforce.

August 31, 2026

Proposed FAA Realignment

As most employees are aware, the FAA plans to significantly realign many organizations within the agency. PASS was specifically briefed on the realignment this week. The briefing particularly focused on any impacts to lines of business where PASS bargaining unit employees currently work. The agency emphasized that this is deliberately referred to as a realignment because the intent is for there to be no changes to pay, grade, bands, work locations or job assignments. It was explained that this realigns management lines of reporting. The changes are expected to be implemented in October 2026. PASS is still in the process of evaluating and reviewing the proposed realignment and will provide more details when they become available. Below are the briefing materials provided to PASS.

August 13, 2026

PASS and Modernization of the National Airspace System

The FAA’s ambitious plans to modernize the nation’s air traffic control system (called BNATCS by the administration) represents one of the most significant efforts impacting the National Airspace System (NAS) and the FAA Technical Operations workforce responsible for maintaining it. Tech Ops employees are among the 11,000 FAA employees represented by PASS.

While modernization is necessary, the speed and process of these efforts must be tempered with ensuring the safety of the aviation system, which means that stakeholder involvement is essential. To that end, PASS has a dedicated representative to the FAA’s Program Management Office

June 24, 2026