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NBAA Joins Coalition Urging Congress To End Aviation Worker Pay Shutdowns
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More than 400 TSA officers have quit during shutdown
Subject Area
Aerospace
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Regulations and Government
Training and Workforce
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NBAA joined the Modern Skies Coalition's call on Congress to act on the DHS shutdown affecting TSA officers and air traffic controllers.
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NBAA joined more than 60 organizations in the Modern Skies Coalition, which includes aviation industry associations, airlines, pilot unions, and airport organizations, in urging Congress to pass legislation ensuring aviation workers are paid during government shutdowns, the association announced Wednesday.

The NBAA statement calls attention to TSA officers working 40 days without full paychecks as the partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) enters its sixth week. More than 400 TSA officers have quit, and passengers have experienced delays and wait times exceeding four hours at airports.

Acting TSA Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill said officers have worked without pay for half the fiscal year. Federal employees worked 43 days without pay last fall during what was the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.

Impacts of the government shutdown are reaching billions of dollars in damages across the travel ecosystem, according to Airlines for America. With a record 171 million airline passengers expected during the spring travel season and 61,000 tons of cargo shipped daily by U.S. airlines, the organization called on Congress to fully fund the DHS to ensure that TSA officers and CBP agents are paid on time.

In October, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) introduced the Keep America Flying Act of 2026 to ensure essential FAA and TSA employees are paid during government shutdowns. The bill faced an uncertain path as a similar measure to pay all essential government workers failed on the Senate floor the previous week. 

The coalition this week urged Congress to pass the Aviation Funding Solvency Act and Aviation Funding Stability Act, which would guarantee pay for air traffic controllers and safety personnel during shutdowns. The Keep America Flying Act would offer similar protections to TSA officers.

“The aviation industry and the people who work in it cannot continue to be used as political leverage,” the coalition said.

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Amy Wilder
Newsletter Headline
NBAA Joins Call To Pay Aviation Workers in Shutdowns
Newsletter Body

NBAA joined more than 60 organizations in the Modern Skies Coalition, which includes aviation industry associations, airlines, pilot unions, and airport organizations, in urging Congress to pass legislation ensuring aviation workers are paid during government shutdowns, the association announced March 25.

The NBAA statement calls attention to TSA officers working 40 days without full paychecks as the partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) enters its sixth week. More than 400 TSA officers have quit, and passengers have experienced delays and wait times exceeding four hours at airports.

Acting TSA Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill said officers have worked without pay for half the fiscal year. Federal employees worked 43 days without pay last fall during what was the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.

Impacts of the government shutdown are reaching billions of dollars in damages across the travel ecosystem, according to Airlines for America. The organization called on Congress to fully fund the DHS to ensure that TSA officers and CBP agents are paid on time.

The coalition this week urged Congress to pass existing bills that would guarantee pay for air traffic controllers, TSA officers, and other safety personnel during shutdowns. “The aviation industry and the people who work in it cannot continue to be used as political leverage,” the coalition said.

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Regulations and Government
Solutions in Business Aviation
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World Region
North America
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