November 19, 2025
During a hearing before the Senate Aviation Subcommittee this afternoon, aviation stakeholders discussed how the recent 43-day government shutdown impacted the aviation system and disrupted the lives of air traffic controllers, TSA officers, and other federal employees who were required to work without pay.
Airlines for America President and CEO Chris Sununu described how flight delays caused by controller staffing shortages increased from 5 percent to 16 percent during the first four weeks of the shutdown. But he told lawmakers that controller shortages spiked after Halloween, overwhelming the system and causing the DOT to implement flight reductions.
Sununu told lawmakers that the government shutdown cost the airlines about $50 million a day in refunds alone, and the downstream impact of flight delays on airlines, hotels, restaurants, etc. was about $500 million a day. He urged Congress to prevent that from happening again, in part, by passing the Fiscal Year 2026 transportation appropriations bill.
He also urged lawmakers to take steps to ensure FAA, TSA, and CBP workers are shielded from government shutdowns. Sununu expressed his gratitude for the $12.5 billion that Congress already approved for ATC modernization, and he pressed for another $19 billion.
NATCA President Nick Daniels described how some air traffic controllers struggled to pay for gas and childcare during the shutdown and how others relied on part-time jobs for income. He thanked DOT Secretary Sean Duffy for keeping the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City open during the shutdown. But he told lawmakers that some recent graduates resigned because they couldn’t afford to begin their careers without a paycheck.
Aviation Subcommittee Ranking Member Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) criticized Republicans for holding a hearing to “mount a partisan attack on Senate Democrats.” She suggested that the president could have paid air traffic controllers during the shutdown just like he paid military personnel, but he chose not to do so. She also questioned the data that DOT and FAA used to implement escalating flight reductions.
Legislative Proposals
Moran Bill: In March, Senate Aviation Subcommittee Chair Jerry Moran (R-KS) introduced S. 1045, the Aviation Funding Stability Act, a bill that would allow the FAA to rely on revenue from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund to allow the FAA to continue operating during a government shutdown and to pay its employees. More information on the bill may be viewed here. Rep. Aaron Bean (R-FL) and Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) introduced companion bills in the House.
House T&I Committee Bill: Transportation and Infrastructure Committee leaders are taking a different approach to achieving the same goal. Yesterday, they introduced H.R. 6086, the Aviation Funding Solvency Act, a bipartisan bill that would allow the FAA to dip into the Aviation Insurance Revolving Fund to pay air traffic controllers and other FAA employees during a government shutdown. The fund covers war risk insurance claims and currently has a balance of more than $2.6 billion.
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO) said in a press release that the bill “guarantees that controllers, who have one of the most high-pressure jobs in the nation, will get paid during any future funding lapses and that air traffic control, aviation safety, and the traveling public will never again be negatively impacted by shutdowns.”
The Aviation Funding Solvency Act was introduced by Chairman Graves; Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-WA); Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Troy E. Nehls (R-TX); and Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN), who was named Raking Member of the Aviation Subcommittee earlier today. More information on the bill may be viewed here.
Aviation Stakeholders Weigh In
The Modern Skies Coalition today called on Congress to “ensure that our nation’s aviation system and those who rely upon it are never subjected to another government shutdown.” The broad coalition of aviation stakeholders, which includes AAAE and USCTA, voiced support for both legislative approaches. The statement may be viewed here.
Testimony and video from today’s hearing may be viewed here.