United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby and American Airlines CEO
Robert Isom, along with Airlines for America president and CEO Chris Sununu and
others on Thursday attended a White House roundtable with U.S. Vice President
J.D. Vance and U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to discuss
the effect of the government shutdown—which began
Oct. 1—on the country's transportation system.
Many in this sector, including air traffic controllers and
U.S. Transportation Security Administration workers, are considered essential
and are required to continue to do their jobs during the shutdown, despite receiving
only partial pay earlier this month and as of Tuesday, missing their first full
paycheck.
The U.S. Travel Association also is displaying a "live
ticker" on its website, which shows that since Oct. 1, the country has
lost nearly $4.3 billion in travel spend.
ATC & TSA Are Going Unpaid
"While I don't have a position on which partisan side
and how things should be settled with health care, it has been 30 days,"
Kirby said at a press conference following the meeting. "I also think it
is time to pass a clean [continuing resolution]. Use that as an opportunity to
get into a room behind closed doors and negotiate hard on the real and
substantive issues that the American people want our politicians on both sides
of the aisle to solve."
Kirby also thanked the air traffic controllers as well as workers
at the U.S. Transportation Security Administration and the U.S. Federal
Aviation Administration who "are working hard and keeping the skies
safe," he said. "They've minimized delays. Fewer than 2 percent of
flights have been delayed so far because of ATC shortages. … But, it's putting
stress on people. … It's also putting stress on the economy. … Airlines are a
pretty good real-time indicator of the economy, and we start to see—still minor—but
a steep booking impact. You put the whole economy at risk."
When asked about how the government planned to keep the
airports running smoothly, Secretary Duffy said, "we are working closely
with NATCA, our air traffic controllers union, our technicians, who work to
keep our equipment safe and operational. I know Chris [Rocheleau, head of the
FAA] is working with TSA. So, we are doing all we can to partner with and talk
to our government employees who make this system run smoothly."
Buzzword: "Clean" Continuing Resolution
While Isom did not speak at the press conference, American
issued a statement saying it was "grateful for Secretary Duffy's
leadership and for all the air traffic controllers, TSA officers and [U.S.
Customs and Border Patrol] officers who continue to ensure safe travel for our
customers—even as those professionals go unpaid during the government shutdown."
The carrier also called for a clean CR. "A prolonged
shutdown will lead to more delays and cancellations—and the American people,
especially during the busy holiday season—deserve better," according to
American.
In addition, airline lobbying group Airlines for America urged
the passage of a clean CR. "Airlines remain focused on preserving safety
and trying to mitigate the operational impacts of this shutdown," according
to a Thursday A4A statement. "We are expecting a record holiday travel
season; however, if the shutdown continues much longer, Americans will have to
pack their patience and be prepared for more delays, unfortunately."
A4A's Sununu on
CBS News called the roundtable meeting "substantive," with those
in attendance hearing from workers how not getting paid is affecting them.
"The stories were consistent around that table," he said. "It's
really hitting a breaking point. The skies are safe, there's no question about
it, that's why there are delays out there, because they slow things down to
make sure that safety is paramount."
A few airports began
to report staffing shortages one week into the shutdown, with some workers reportedly
taking second jobs.
Sununu added that if more TSA workers or controllers decided
to not come in, "what happens then you see the cancellations and you're
going to see gridlock on the runways," he said. "It's not a safety
issue per se, it's really just about, 'Hey, we can't get your plane off the
ground,' because again, we have to ensure the safety, and no one would put the
system at risk that way. So, the system is going to remain safe. But the
breaking point really comes when the whole thing gridlocks."