Airlines plead for end to government shutdown as unpaid air traffic controllers prepare for busy holiday trips
The government shutdown is ending its first full month and airlines have almost had enough.
Aviation industry leaders are urging Congress to end the shutdown out of concern for the well-being of air traffic controllers working without pay, as well as air travel ahead of a busy holiday season.
“It puts stress on people. It’s not fair to those people. It also puts stress on the economy,” United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby told reporters outside the White House on Thursday. “Airlines are a pretty good real-time indicator of the economy, and we’re starting to see still a small but significant impact on bookings. And you see that happening in the economy. We’re putting the economy as a whole at risk.”
Kirby called for bipartisan agreement on a clear, continuing resolution to reopen the government. He, along with industry leaders like Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Chris Sununu, the former Republican governor of New Hampshire and current CEO of the trade group Airlines for America, met Thursday with Vice President JD Vance to discuss the impact of the government shutdown on aviation. Bloomberg reported.
American Airlines has confirmed Fortune that CEO Robert Isom was present at Thursday’s meeting. The airline said air traffic controllers working without pay were “unacceptable”.
“Congress must reach a bipartisan agreement to reopen government as quickly as possible to pay our air traffic controller, [Transportation Security Administration]And [Customs and Border Protection] colleagues,” the airline said Fortune in a statement. “The quickest way to end this shutdown and make these workers pay is with a clear, continuing resolution. A prolonged shutdown will lead to more delays and cancellations – and the American people, especially during the busy holiday season, deserve better.”
Pressure on air traffic controllers and travelers
Aviation remained a hot spot during the government shutdown, with more than 13,000 air traffic controllers, considered essential workers, working without pay, increasing stress on employees already struggling with a persistent shortage for more than a decade. Before the shutdown, 91% of U.S. air traffic control centers were operating below staffing levels recommended by the Federal Aviation Administration. During the shutdown, many are working six-day weeks of 60 hours or more.
Air traffic controllers received their final paychecks Tuesday and are feeling the financial pressures of working without pay. Some have decided to become restaurant servers and Uber drivers to make ends meet.
“It’s a world where they’re no longer just relying on each other, but also finding other jobs, going to their primary job during the day, and then at night going out and having to do a side job,” said Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. Fortune.
Some workers took “sick leave,” refusing to work until they were paid. These absences have already caused disruptions in air transport. According to Flightaware.com, there were more than 7,300 flights to and from U.S. airports on Thursday, as well as more than 1,250 cancellations.
The shutdown will reach a record length, reaching its 34th day on Monday, when the Senate reconvenes, marking the longest funding disruption in U.S. history. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the shutdown could represent nearly $14 billion in real GDP losses that will not be recovered. While more than 700,000 civil servants remain without pay during this period, others, including ICE agents, will continue to receive checks.
As the White House continues to pressure Democrats to end the lockdown, many Americans believe it is up to Republicans to solve the funding gap. A Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll this week found that 45% of American adults believe Trump and the Republican Party are primarily responsible for the shutdown. A third of those surveyed blamed Democrats and 22% were unsure.
