NATCA President Nick Daniels and Members from BWI Airport Meet with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy

Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy visited Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) today to meet with the air traffic controllers who work there, along with NATCA President Nick Daniels, NATCA Eastern Regional Vice President Mike Christine, and FAA Acting Chief Operating Officer Franklin McIntosh. The group toured the BWI Tower cab, and NATCA BWI FacRep Dana Plagmann reviewed the technology he and the other controllers are currently using at airport with the Secretary.

During the meeting, Secretary Duffy thanked the controllers for continuing to perform their vital work during the government shutdown. Plagmann and NATCA BWI member Billy Hudgins had the opportunity to talk about the concerns of the controller workforce at BWI Tower, including frustration that they did not get a full paycheck today because of the shutdown. 

In addition to the shutdown causing financial stress and unnecessary distraction for NATCA’s members, President Daniels expressed frustration that the shutdown could slow the important initiatives that Secretary Duffy has championed around supercharging ATC hiring and training and modernizing air traffic control technology.