Airlines Are Feeding Air Traffic Controllers as Pay Stops During Government Shutdown

In an effort to help feed federal aviation workers who are going unpaid amid the government shutdown, some airlines are stepping in to pay for meals. In a statement shared with PEOPLE, United Airlines confirmed that it is “donating meals for air traffic controllers and other federal workers whose pay is delayed.” The airline told CBS News it would be feeding workers at the company’s hubs in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark, N.J., San Francisco and Washington, D.C. “We appreciate the hardworking federal employees who are keeping the air travel system running,” the airline added to the outlet. Delta Air Lines also confirmed to PEOPLE that the company has “arranged for a limited number of meals for transportation sector workers.” However, it noted it would comply with the “strict rules established for employees of federal government agencies." JetBlue is also planning to “offer meals at our airports as a gesture of support," per a statement shared with PEOPLE. The company said it is working with TSA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Federal Aviation Administration to carry out their efforts. The federal government entered a shutdown on Oct. 1, its first since 2019. The lapse in funding came after Congress failed to reach a budget agreement. Officials previously stated nearly 11,000 air traffic controllers would be working without pay as a result. On Tuesday, Oct. 28, federal workers received their first $0 paycheck for their two weeks of unpaid work. On Oct. 14, employees received a partial paycheck for work completed in September before the shutdown began. During a press conference at LaGuardia Airport in New York City on Tuesday, Department of Transportation secretary Sean Duffy expressed concern for the workers who continue to show up. “This is day one,” Duffy said. “Day two gets harder, day three is harder after that as expenses continue to roll.” He added: “We have a lot of new controllers who are still in training, that aren’t at a high level in income. They can’t handle what’s happening to them today.” Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Duffy said a number of employees are now going to DoorDash or Uber to make ends meet. “The pressure is real,” air traffic controller Joe Segretto said at the same press conference. “We have people trying to keep these airplanes safe. We have trainees — that are trying to learn a new job that is very fast-paced, very stressful, very complex — now having to worry about how they’re going to pay bills.”