Several leaders in the United States airline industry have asked Congress to end the shutdown amid concerns about air traffic controllers working without pay ahead of the busy holiday season, according to a Fortune report.
“It stresses people. It’s not fair to those people. It also stresses the economy,” the report quoted United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby as saying. “Airlines are a pretty good real-time indicator of the economy, and we’re starting to see, still a small but steep impact on bookings. And you’re seeing that happening in the economy. We’re putting the whole economy at risk,” he said.
Kirby urged bipartisan support to pass a resolution to reopen the government. Along with industry leaders such as Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Chris Sununu, the former Republican governor of New Hampshire and current CEO of Airlines for America, he met with Vice President JD Vance on Thursday to discuss how the government shutdown affects aviation, according to Bloomberg.
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On Friday, American Airlines confirmed that CEO Robert Isom attended Thursday’s meeting. The airline has branded air traffic controllers who work without pay as “unacceptable”, the report said.
“Congress needs to reach a bipartisan agreement to reopen the government as quickly as possible to pay our air traffic controller (Transportation Security Administration) and colleagues (Customs and Border Protection),” the report quoted the airline as saying.
“The fastest way to end this shutdown and get these workers paid is to pass a clean continuing resolution. A prolonged shutdown will lead to more delays and cancellations — and Americans, especially during the busy holiday season, deserve better,” it said.
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Impact of the government shutdown on the airline industry
Aviation industry remains a focal point during the government shutdown with more than 13,000 air traffic controllers, considered essential workers, working without pay. This increases the stress of employees who have been dealing with a lack of employees for more than ten years. Before the shutdown, 91% of US air traffic control centers were operating below the Federal Aviation Administration’s recommended staffing levels. During the shutdown, many controllers work six days a week, often exceeding 60 hours.
The shutdown is set to reach a record length, entering its 34th day when the Senate reconvenes on Monday, matching the longest funding gap in US history. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that a shutdown could result in a real GDP loss of nearly $14 billion that cannot be recovered. While more than 700,000 government workers remain unpaid during this time, some, such as ICE agents, continue to receive their paychecks.
Air traffic controllers received their last paycheck on Tuesday and are feeling the strain of working without pay. Some have taken on side jobs as restaurant servers and Uber drivers to cover their expenses.
“It’s a world where now they’re not just relying on each other, they’re relying on finding other jobs, going to their primary job during the day and then going out at night and having to do some level of secondary work,” the report quoted Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, as saying.
Some workers feigned “sickness” and refused to work until they were paid. These absences have already disrupted air travel. The report went on to cite data from Flightaware.com and said there were more than 7,300 delays and more than 1,250 cancellations at US airports on Thursday.
