The Modern Skies Coalition, a lobbying group which includes commercial airlines, labor unions, and general aviation organizations, is pushing congressional leaders to work out a funding compromise that will avert a shutdown of the federal government.
“Government shutdowns harm the U.S. economy and degrade the redundancies and margins of safety that our National Airspace System (NAS) is built upon,” Modern Skies wrote in a letter sent to elected officials on Monday. “In fact, short-term shutdowns of just a few days, or even threatened shutdowns that are averted in the eleventh hour, negatively affect the NAS and the traveling public.”
The letter was addressed to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
The coalition warned that a shutdown will slow efforts begun by the U.S. Transportation Department to speed up the training and deployment of air traffic controllers, delay the implementation of new safety initiatives, postpone maintenance and repair work on air traffic control technology, and halt airworthiness inspections for aircraft.
It is also likely that the FAA will have to temporarily suspend hiring and close its training academy in Oklahoma City.
“Although air traffic controllers, technicians, and other exempted aviation safety professionals continue to work without pay during a shutdown, many other FAA employees who support them are furloughed,” the letter read. “To maintain our position as the world leader in aviation, we must always strive to improve safety and efficiency and continuously work further to mitigate risk.”
Shutdown, Potential Delays Loom
The Modern Skies Coalition also pointed out the potential economic consequences of a shutdown, noting that the 35-day shutdown between December 2018 and January 2019 cost the U.S. economy $3 billion that was never recovered.
Republicans and Democrats have so far failed to reach an agreement that would keep the federal government funded and operating as normal. Schumer and Jeffries said Monday that they want concessions from President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans to protect healthcare-related programs and initiatives.
If no deal is reached, the federal government will shut down at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday. Trump administration officials have signaled that they plan to carry out mass firings of federal workers if that occurs.
Experts expect a shutdown could cause delays and other hassles for members of the flying public. Essential airport workers, such as TSA agents, are required to work without pay when federal funding runs out, and in the past some of those workers have called out sick in protest, slowing operations.
The Modern Skies Coalition includes the industry trade group Airlines for America; the Air Line Pilots Association; the Allied Pilots Association; the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association; Airbus; the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA; Boeing; GE Aviation; the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers; the International Brotherhood of Teamsters; and the Regional Airline Association, among numerous other organizations.
