The CEOs of 10 major US passenger and cargo airlines urged Congress to ensure federal aviation workers are paid during government shutdowns, warning that long airport lines and travel disruptions are already straining the system as the spring travel season accelerates.
An open letter, published in The Washington Post on March 15, 2026, was signed by leaders from Alaska Air Group, American Airlines, Atlas Air Worldwide, Delta Air Lines, FedEx, JetBlue, Southwest, United, UPS, and the trade group Airlines for America (A4A).
In the letter, the airline chief executives called on lawmakers to immediately fund the Department of Homeland Security and then move to prevent similar disruptions in future shutdowns.
They specifically endorsed the Aviation Funding Solvency Act, the Aviation Funding Stability Act, and the Keep America Flying Act, saying those measures would guarantee pay protections for air traffic controllers, TSA officers, and certain Customs personnel during funding lapses.
The CEOs in their letter stressed the importance of paying federal aviation workers, including TSA officers, US Customs clearance officers, and air traffic controllers, during government shutdowns.
The CEOs said US airlines expect 171 million passengers this spring season, a record, while warning that travelers were already facing security checkpoint waits of two, three, and even four hours at some airports. They added that airlines were trying to limit disruption by holding flights for late passengers and rebooking others.
A partial shutdown at DHS has left TSA officers working without pay. Reuters reported on March 17 that more than 10% of TSA airport security officers failed to report for work on March 15, up sharply from normal absentee rates below 2%, and that roughly 50,000 TSA officers have been working unpaid since funding lapsed on February 14. Reuters also reported that 366 TSA officers had resigned during the shutdown and that some major airports had seen a
On March 13, A4A President and CEO Chris Sununu said tens of thousands of TSA employees were receiving “empty paychecks. Zero dollars.” Earlier, the group said hours-long checkpoint waits were “unacceptable” and warned that unpaid front-line workers were creating visible stress across the aviation system.
The airline CEOs also pointed to public support for their position. According to the letter, polling conducted by AlphaROC on March 9-10 found that 93% of Americans supported paying federal aviation workers during shutdowns, while 88% said long security lines were likely to recur if TSA officers continued to work without pay during future shutdowns.
With spring break travel underway and the industry looking ahead to the 2026 FIFA World Cup and celebrations tied to the US’s 250th birthday, the carriers argued that Congress should stop treating air travel as a “political football” and move quickly to stabilize aviation funding.
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