The chief executives of several major U.S. airlines are urging Congress to restore funding to the Department of Homeland Security and ensure Transportation Security Administration (TSA) aviation security workers are paid during the ongoing partial government shutdown.
In an open letter to Congress on Sunday, the CEOs of carriers including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways called on lawmakers to reach an agreement to fund the agency and support legislation designed to protect pay for key aviation personnel during future shutdowns.
The letter, also signed by executives from cargo carriers FedEx, UPS and Atlas Air, noted that airport security TSA officers have continued working during the shutdown without pay.
“Once again, air travel is the political football amid another government shutdown,” the airline leaders wrote in the letter.
The current shutdown is specific to the Department of Homeland Security, after Congress failed to reach an agreement on funding over issues that are primarily related to immigration enforcement. Even so, this lapse in funding also includes TSA, which falls under DHS.
The group also called for passage of legislation that would guarantee compensation for air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration officers regardless of the government’s funding status.
The executives said TSA disruptions have already appeared at some airports as the shutdown continues.
“Too many travelers are having to wait in extraordinarily long — and painfully slow — lines at checkpoints,” the CEOs wrote.
Airlines are anticipating significant passenger volumes in the coming weeks, with about 171 million travelers expected during the spring travel period, according to the letter. Reports from major airports around the country have indicated extended, sometimes multi-hour security wait times as the shutdown continues.
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