Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS), the union which represents about 11,000 FAA and Department of Defense employees who install, maintain, and certify air traffic control systems, said the ongoing government shutdown is threatening the agency’s modernization plans and straining its workforce.

Unlike the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), which represents air traffic controllers, PASS represents the technicians, inspectors, and engineers who keep the FAA’s infrastructure running.

PASS President Dave Spero said Tuesday that training for these technical employees has already been halted at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City where, in addition to new air traffic controllers, the next generation of system specialists are also being prepared for modernization proj

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