March 15, 2026 — Washington — US Airline CEOs Urge Congress to End Partial Government Shutdown and Fund TSA Amid Long Security Lines, as leaders from major carriers including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Alaska Airlines, FedEx, UPS, and Atlas Air sent an open letter to members of Congress demanding an immediate end to the 29-day partial government shutdown impacting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The executives highlighted severe disruptions from unpaid TSA officers, including long security lines of up to four hours, flight delays, and over 300 resignations among approximately 50,000 affected workers during peak spring break travel, according to Reuters and UPI.
The letter, signed by 10 CEOs, described air travel as a “political football” amid the shutdown that began February 13 over immigration reform disputes. It cited recent polling showing 93% of Americans support paying federal aviation workers during shutdowns and 88% expect repeated long lines without pay protections.
TSA officers just received $0 paychecks. That is simply unacceptable.
Americans—who live in your districts and home states—are tired of long lines at airports, travel delays and flight cancellations caused by shutdown after shutdown.
The CEOs called for Congress to fund DHS immediately and pass the Aviation Funding Solvency Act, Aviation Funding Stability Act for air traffic controllers, and Keep America Flying Act for TSA officers to prevent future issues. Airlines anticipate a record 171 million passengers this spring, exacerbating strains ahead of events like the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Signatories
The letter was signed by:
- Robert Isom, CEO, American Airlines
- Ed Bastian, CEO, Delta Air Lines
- Joanna Geraghty, CEO, JetBlue Airways
- Bob Jordan, President and CEO, Southwest Airlines
- Scott Kirby, CEO, United Airlines
- Ben Minicucci, CEO and President, Alaska Air Group
- Richard W. Smith, COO International and CEO, FedEx
- Nando Cesarone, EVP and President U.S., UPS
- Michael Steen, CEO, Atlas Air
- Christopher T. Sununu, President and CEO, Airlines for America
Broader Coverage
Reports from the Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, Bloomberg, and CNBC echoed the urgency, noting 93% of TSA officers affected and impacts on customs and air traffic control. US Airline CEOs Urge Congress to End Partial Government Shutdown and Fund TSA Amid Long Security Lines dominated coverage on March 15-16, with activity on X linking to these stories.