{"id":22780,"date":"2026-03-05T17:55:50","date_gmt":"2026-03-05T11:55:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/USBnews24.com\/?p=22780"},"modified":"2026-03-06T17:57:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T11:57:00","slug":"airline-and-travel-groups-warn-of-risks-to-air-traffic-as-partial-shutdown-persists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/USBnews24.com\/?p=22780","title":{"rendered":"Airline and travel groups warn of risks to air traffic as partial shutdown persists"},"content":{"rendered":"

Groups representing major U.S. airlines and travel groups warned on Thursday that an ongoing partial government shutdown \u200bcould snarl air traffic as the busy U.S. spring break travel season nears.
\nFunding \u200cfor the Homeland Security Department lapsed on February 13 after Congress failed to reach a deal on immigration enforcement reforms demanded by Democrats. That halted operational funding for several government agencies, including the \u200bTransportation Security Administration.
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About 50,000 TSA airport security screeners are working without pay and as \u200bthe shutdown continues more workers could be unable or unwilling \u2060to come to work because of financial hardship.
\nCarriers are expecting a record-breaking spring \u200btravel period, with 171 million passengers expected to fly, up 4% over the \u200bsame two-month period last year, said Chris Sununu, CEO of trade association Airlines for America. He castigated lawmakers for not voting to end the shutdown.
\n“The fear is that, once again, they’re not going \u200bto act until something really desperate happens, until we get long lines,” Sununu said, \u200badding the repeated shutdowns are putting the U.S. aviation system at risk.<\/p>\n

Spring break travel will heat \u200cup \u2060as TSA workers get their first zero paycheck on March 13, Sununu said. He urged the Trump administration to reinstate Global Entry, which expedites U.S. customs and immigration clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers entering the United States.
\nU.S. Travel Association CEO Geoff Freeman said \u200bit was unacceptable not \u200bto pay airport \u2060security workers.
\n“TSA officers screen nearly a billion passengers a year. With an average salary of around $35,000, these are workers \u200bwho simply cannot afford to miss a paycheck,” Freeman said. “Every \u200btime Washington \u2060fails to fund the government, these essential workers pay the price. So do travelers. So does the economy.”
\nHa Nguyen McNeill, the top official at the TSA, told \u2060Congress last \u200bmonth that around 1,110 transportation security officers left \u200bthe TSA in October and November 2025 following a 43-day government shutdown, a more than 25% increase \u200bfrom the same time period in 2024.
\nWe pray for your continued blessing and favor to rest upon him.<\/p>\n

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