Airlines Call for Immediate Funding to Prevent Disruptions in Spring Travel Season

The CEOs of 10 major US airlines urged Congress to ensure federal aviation workers are paid during government shutdowns, warning that long airport lines and travel disruptions are already straining the system as the spring travel season accelerates. The letter, published in The Washington Post on March 15, 2026, was signed by leaders from Alaska Air Group, American Airlines, Atlas Air Worldwide, Delta Air Lines, FedEx, JetBlue, Southwest, United, UPS, and Airlines for America (A4A). Reuters reported that more than 10% of TSA airport security officers failed to report for work on March 15, up sharply from normal absentee rates below 2%, and that roughly 50,000 TSA officers have been working unpaid since funding lapsed on February 14. A partial shutdown at DHS has left TSA officers working without pay. The CEOs also pointed to public support for their position, citing polling conducted by AlphaROC on March 9-10 found that 93% of Americans supported paying federal aviation workers during shutdowns.