The longest government shutdown in US history hit air traffic controllers hard. 13,000 worked without pay for over a month, taking up jobs driving for DoorDash and Instacart to survive. But staff shortages in US control towers go back decades before the shutdown. Despite being fatigued and overworked, the remaining controllers hold thousands of lives in their hands every day. Why is directing planes one of the most challenging jobs in the world? And why are there so few left to get passengers safely on the ground?
