Major US Airlines Call for End to Government Shutdown Amid Mounting Flight Disruptions

The ongoing federal government shutdown, now over a month long, is severely impacting the U.S. aviation sector, leading major airlines like United, Delta, American Airlines, Southwest, Alaska Airlines, and JetBlue to urge Congress to pass a clean continuing resolution to reopen the government and ensure critical aviation employees are paid. Airline executives, including United CEO Scott Kirby and American Airlines CEO Robert Isom, have highlighted worsening flight delays and cancellations caused by unpaid air traffic controllers, TSA agents, and Customs and Border Protection officers, with flight disruptions rising significantly as the shutdown persists. The airlines warn that the transportation sector's strain is beginning to affect the broader U.S. economy and could destabilize it if the shutdown continues. Concurrently, six leading military associations representing 1.8 million members have also called on congressional leaders to restore federal funding, citing threats to military readiness and the risk that service members may miss upcoming paychecks. Government officials, including Vice President JD Vance and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, have engaged with industry leaders at the White House to address these challenges, emphasizing the urgency of passing a clean funding bill to protect both the economy and essential federal workers. Despite these efforts, political negotiations remain stalled, with some lawmakers using the shutdown as leverage for other policy goals, prolonging uncertainty for federal employees and the traveling public.