Photo: DebraMillet / iStock Editorial / Getty Images
A food drive is underway today at Syracuse Hancock International Airport to support air traffic controllers and TSA agents working without pay due to the ongoing federal government shutdown. The Syracuse Regional Airport Authority (SRAA) is organizing the drive in response to community requests to assist nearly 200 federal employees affected by the shutdown, which began on October 1.
Volunteers will collect non-perishable food items from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Arrivals A curb line until Friday (November 7). According to Syracuse.com, the unpaid workers include 24 air traffic controllers at the airport, who are working mandatory overtime shifts due to staffing shortages. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association reports that these controllers are operating at 54 percent of their authorized capacity.
The SRAA's Executive Director, Jason Terreri, emphasized the importance of federal employees in maintaining airport operations. "Despite going without a paycheck since October 1, our federal partners continue to show up to work to help keep our airport running safely, securely, and efficiently," he stated. The food drive aims to provide a channel for community support during the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.