OPINION:
Thanks to a downpayment in the One Big Beautiful Bill, America is on its way to becoming the most technologically advanced and efficient air traffic control system in the world. DOT Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford have done incredible work: replacing antiquated copper lines with fiber telecommunication systems, installing new radars and radios, and hiring more air traffic controllers.
But up on Capitol Hill, government gridlock is threatening to stall the incredible progress that has been made. Government shutdowns are becoming longer and more frequent, wrecking more than just weekend travel plans.
This past year, Americans lived through the longest government shutdown in U.S. history — and millions of travelers suffered the unprecedented consequences, even though these travelers paid taxes to fund our nation’s air traffic control services.
Starting in mid-February, when the shutdown began, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers across the nation went more than a month without pay. That caused staffing shortages that plunged airports into chaos at the height of spring travel. Average security wait times reached historic highs, and viral videos showed lines snaking out of terminals and into parking garages.
TSA agents — tasked with the crucial job of keeping our airports and airplanes secure — were dealing with enormous emotional stress and serious financial strain. Unable to pay for rent, gas or groceries, TSA agents relied on second jobs, gift cards from airports or donations from their communities.
Thanks to a memorandum from President Donald Trump restoring TSA pay, the operational strain subsided. While Americans were grateful to move on, Congress shouldn’t.
White House economists estimate that the effects of that shutdown, including delayed and canceled flights, cost the U.S. economy at least $2.5 billion.
And many of the consequences outlasted the shutdown itself. More than 1,000 TSA officers quit — joining more than 1,000 others who left during the 43-day government shutdown last fall.
They won’t be quickly replaced, as it can take up to six months to train a new officer. And as more Americans see how frequently TSA employees face financial instability, the job will likely become even harder to recruit for.
Past shutdowns have affected other critical parts of the aviation system — including air traffic controllers. In fact, during last fall’s shutdown, the impact to controllers was so severe, the FAA mandated that airlines cut hundreds of flights to maintain our gold safety standard. The travel and tourism industry alone lost more than $6 billion because of that shutdown.
As partisan disputes increasingly put government funding at risk, it is untenable for America’s air travel system to remain in the crossfire. Congress must act to guarantee stable pay for the workers who keep that system running — TSA officers and air traffic controllers alike — and ensure this does not happen again.
The best solution is a functioning appropriations process that keeps our critical federal agencies funded and running. But the American people also deserve a shutdown insurance policy for when this system falls behind schedule or fails. Congress should enact a permanent solution to protect travelers and our economy: a guarantee that the people who keep America’s aviation system running will receive stable pay during shutdowns. Unrelated political disputes should never again be allowed to affect essential aviation safety and security employees.
As we look to America’s next 250 years, there is no doubt aviation will be taken to new heights.
Industry works every day to make air travel safer, cleaner and more accessible. Congress must do its part and pass a durable solution that safeguards the reliability of our air travel system and the people who keep it running safely and securely.
• Chris Sununu is president and CEO of Airlines for America.
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