Canadian Air Traffic Controllers buy pizza for American colleagues affected by U.S. government shutdown

Canadian air traffic controllers are carrying out a simple, but heartfelt gesture for their American counterparts — they’re buying them dinner amidst the U.S. government shutdown.

Air traffic controllers (ATC) in Moncton, N.B. and Gander, Nfld. sent pizza over to controllers manning the stations at the New York Air Traffic Control Center (ZNY), in Ronkonkoma, N.Y., on Friday night in support of their colleagues who are working unpaid as the American government’s partial shutdown drags into its fourth week.

A photo of a sign hung up in New York Center which said that 32 pizzas had been ordered by the Canadians was posted on Reddit by user PlatinumAero, whose real name is David Lombardo.

“Many controllers who work for the [Federal Aviation Administration] literally got paycheques that said $0.00, and many are doing overtime, working holidays, nights, weekends, and are in facilities that are already very short-staffed,” Lombardo said. “To add the stress of not knowing when they’re going to get paid, that has to be tough for many.”

Air traffic controllers in Atlantic Canada aren’t the only Canadians reaching out to their American counterparts.

Montreal Centre sent Boston Center pizza, while Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport sent pizza to their counterparts in Burlington, Vt. and LaGuardia, N.Y.

Toronto’s area centre sent pizza to their colleagues at Cleveland Center, while Vancouver bought pizza for Seattle Center.

“In many cases these are radar control facilities buying for the neighbouring sector facility,” Lombardo said.

The outpouring of support isn’t ending yet though — Lombardo said Winnipeg Tower is sending dinner to Minneapolis−Saint Paul International Airport’s tower on Sunday night, and already covered Grand Forks’ lunch on Saturday.

Source: Huffington Post