Federal Employee 2027 Pay Freeze Could Impact ATC Modernization

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Published: August 31, 2026

Today, the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, AFL-CIO (PASS) criticized the announcement last week that the civilian federal workforce will receive no pay increase for calendar year 2027.

Under the Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act, the president is required to submit an alternative pay plan by September 1 of each year in order to keep larger raises from taking effect. In a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Thursday, the resident submitted a plan that would freeze the pay of the ederal workforce.

PASS represents 11,000 employees at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) who install, maintain, support and certify air traffic control and national defense equipment, inspect and oversee the commercial and general aviation industries.

“Failing to adjust the pay of FAA employees will have a negative impact on effort to recruit and retain workers critical to the safety of the National Airspace System,” said PASS National President Dave Spero. “In light of the administration’s push to modernize the air traffic control system, the pay freeze must be reconsidered.”

The FAA is in the midst of implementing the Brand New Air Traffic Control System and PASS-represented employees are on the front lines of this massive effort and are vital to its success. As workers fall behind in compensation, fewer will accept positions with the FAA, and experienced employees will have less of an incentive to remain at the agency. This will likely slow down the progress of implementation.

“The FAA’s workforce plan to hire an additional 750 technicians just became that much more difficult,” continued President Spero. “Aviation safety inspectors and other critical employees will begin to retire and the recruitment of these aviation safety professionals will suffer.” The PASS leader noted that worklife balance has already deteriorated with staffing shortages and uncertainty around government funding. “Now employees have to effectively take a pay cut,” he said. “These employees maintain and oversee the largest, safest and most complex air traffic control system in the world. Dismantling it by destroying the morale of the employees is heartbreaking.”

PASS calls on Congress to dismiss the president’s call for a pay freeze and move forward with the Federal Adjustment of Income Rates (FAIR) Act, a bill that would provide federal employees with a more appropriate 4.1% pay increase in calendar year 2027.