The longest government shutdown in U.S. history is exacerbating the already dire situation at control towers across the nation, a retired air traffic controller said.

While the Federal Aviation Administration said it will reduce air traffic by 10% across 40 high-volume markets to maintain safety amid the shutdown and ongoing air traffic control staffing shortages, Stephen Abraham, who worked as a controller at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York for over two decades before retiring, said the move is more like a Band-Aid to prevent a meltdown.

"It doesn't solve the crisis, it just prevents a complete meltdown," said Abraham, who said staffing hasn't been adequate in decades.

"They're really overworked. They're fatigued," Abraham said.

Air traffic controllers are classified as essentia

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