On Wednesday, the head of a trade group representing major U.S. airlines will call for permanently ending aviation disruptions during government shutdowns by ensuring air traffic controllers and other key workers are paid.
Airlines for America (A4A), the group representing American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines and others, will tell a U.S. Senate aviation subcommittee that the 43-day government shutdown and government imposed flight cuts disrupted 6 million passengers and 50,000 flights because of rising air traffic controller absences.
“We should never subject our air traffic control system to this chaos again,” A4A CEO Chris Sununu will say according to his written testimony, reported by Reuters. “This simply should never happen again.”
Last week, following the shutdown, A4A issued a statement, which read in part, “This prolonged disruption placed significant strain on millions of Americans—including travelers, shippers and the federal employees who keep our aviation system safe. We are grateful to the dedicated air traffic controllers and TSA officers who showed up for work despite not getting paid. Additionally, thousands of airline employees have been going the extra mile to take care of customers during these challenging days.
“We implore Congress to ensure future funding bills do not allow aviation to become collateral damage in Washington’s policy debates. The FAA’s Airport and Airway Trust Fund currently has $5 billion that could be used to pay air traffic controllers during future shutdowns. We ask Congress to consider legislation that would implement a long-term solution.”
The U.S. Senate Aviation Subcommittee meets Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. EST to examine how the recent shutdown affected aviation safety and the economy. Industry leaders are expected to testify, pushing for solutions to pay essential aviation workers during future shutdowns.
Airlines for America is the trade association for the leading U.S. airlines, both passenger and cargo carriers. In its mission statement, the association is “prioritizing safety and security during this time of record passenger volumes and increased reliance on air cargo shipments. Every day, U.S. airlines operate 27,000 flights carrying 2.7 million travelers and 61,000 tons of cargo while supporting 10 million U.S. jobs and 5 percent of GDP.”
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