The US Federal Aviation Administration will furlough 4,000 workers as of Saturday morning after a funding bill expires without a necessary extension from Congress.
Affected employees are mostly involved in the FAA’s construction projects, but the agency says the furloughed workers include a wide variety of professions, from engineers, scientists and research analysts to administrative assistants and community planners.
Furthermore, $2.5 billion in already-funded aviation infrastructure projects in all 50 states will grind to a halt as the FAA will not have the ability to disperse these funds. Scores of construction workers will also lose work as a result.
Air traffic control and airport flight operations will not be affected.
FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt expressed dismay with the failure of the nation’s lawmakers to pass the bill, saying, “The FAA employees who will be furloughed perform critical work for our nation’s aviation system and our economy. These are real people with families who do not deserve to be put out of work during these tough economic times.”
