US could dismiss air traffic controllers who fail to work, transport secretary says

Oct 9 (Reuters) - U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Thursday the government could dismiss air traffic controllers who repeatedly fail to show up for work, saying a spike in absences is causing significant air disruptions during a government shutdown.

"If we have some on our staff that aren't dedicated like we need, we're going to let them go," Duffy said on Fox Business. "I can't have people not showing up for work."

He said 90 to 95% of controllers are showing up every day despite not getting paid. "It's a small fraction of people who don't come to work that can create this massive disruption, and that's what you're seeing rippling through our skies today," Duffy added.