Airline Executives Urge End of Gov't Shutdown

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."