U.S. Airline CEOs Press Congress to Pay 50,000 Airport Security Staff

Chief executives of major U.S. airlines urged Congress to fast-track an end to the 29-day partial government shutdown, which has forced 50,000 airport security personnel to work without pay. In an open letter, the executives warned that the ongoing impasse threatens to cause further disruptions to air travel across the United States.

Absences among Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees have already hampered operations at several major airports over the past week, raising alarms as the busy spring travel season approaches. "Too many travelers are being forced to wait in lines that are excessively long and exhaustively slow at checkpoints," stated the CEOs of American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue Airways, and Alaska Air, among others. The leaders called for an immediate agreement to fund the Department of Homeland Security and urged measures to prevent a recurrence of the crisis.

The current standoff echoes last autumn’s 43-day shutdown, which led the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to mandate a 10% flight reduction at key hubs. "Once again, air travel has become a political bargaining chip amidst another government shutdown," the executives wrote. Joining them in the appeal were top officials from FedEx, UPS, and Atlas Air, who advocated for legislation to guarantee salaries for essential federal aviation staff during future shutdowns. The funding lapse, triggered on February 13 over immigration enforcement reform disputes, comes as airlines brace for a record spring season with 171 million passengers expected—a 4% year-on-year increase. Reports from Houston Hobby, New Orleans, and Newark airports have already cited security wait times exceeding two hours, forcing some checkpoints to close as communities organize food drives for unpaid TSA officers.