Funding of the U.S. federal government ended on the morning of Jan. 31, causing another shutdown, about 10 weeks after the longest such shutdown on record ended in November.
This time, though, only part of the government is without funding—but that unfunded part includes the Department of Transportation, which houses the Federal Aviation Administration and air traffic controllers, and the Department of Homeland Security, which covers Transportation Security Administration employees.
Workers for those agencies are considered essential, which means they are required to show up for work, but if the shutdown continues, they could go without pay—just as they did last fall. The 2025 shutdown led to air traffic controller absences and temporary mandated capacity cuts for the airlines. The U.S. Travel Association estimated that the shutdown cost the travel industry $6.1 billion.
The U.S. Senate on Friday passed a government funding bill, and the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on it today, but it's unclear if there is enough support for passage.
U.S. Travel, along with U.S. carrier lobbying group Airlines for America and the American Hotel & Lodging Association, issued a joint statement about the current funding situation.
"When air traffic controllers and TSA officers are forced to work without pay, it strains an already under resourced aviation system and sends ripple effects across the entire travel ecosystem," according to the statement.
"We implore the House to act with urgency to vote on the package that the Senate passed on Friday so that vital government agencies can re-open and frontline federal workers—including controllers and TSA officers—can be paid for the important work they do. It's up to the House to pass these measures to prevent significant disruptions, protect travelers and maintain confidence in the U.S. air travel system."
Further, on Dec. 18, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved legislation that would ensure that air traffic controllers and other FAA professionals responsible for the safety and efficiency of the U.S. airspace would be paid should there be a lapse in federal funding. Bills on this matter have been introduced in the House and Senate, but to date have not progressed further.
The joint travel industry statement added that "Congress must also pursue solutions to guarantee that TSA officers and air traffic controllers are paid regardless of future funding lapses. The Aviation Funding Solvency Act (H.R. 6086) and the Aviation Funding Stability Act (S. 1045) would ensure air traffic controllers and other critical FAA employees get paid during shutdowns and would use funds already paid into the system. These are common sense proposals that have bipartisan support and should be passed swiftly."