March 16, 2026 — Washington, D.C. — CEOs from 10 major U.S. airlines, US Airline CEOs Urge Congress to End Government Shutdown and Restore DHS Funding for TSA Workers. On March 15, 2026, they published an open letter in The Washington Post calling on Congress to end the 29-day partial government shutdown affecting Homeland Security and to pay approximately 50,000 unpaid TSA officers.
The executives, representing airlines including American, Delta, United, Southwest, Alaska, JetBlue, Hawaiian, Allegiant, Frontier, FedEx, UPS, and Atlas Air, highlighted disruptions such as security lines lasting two to four hours, flight delays, cancellations, and over 300 TSA agents quitting since mid-February, amid expectations of a record 171 million spring passengers, according to Reuters and CNBC.
Key Impacts Highlighted
The letter notes that TSA officers received $0 paychecks, describing it as “simply unacceptable.” It cites polling showing 93% of Americans support paying federal aviation workers during shutdowns and 88% expect long lines if TSA remains unpaid.
TSA officers just received $0 paychecks. That is simply unacceptable. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to put food on the table, put gas in the car and pay rent when you are not getting paid.
Airlines reported holding flights and rebooking passengers to mitigate delays during spring break travel, with upcoming events like the FIFA World Cup 2026 and America’s 250th birthday celebrations raising stakes, per USA Today.
US Airline CEOs Urge Congress to End Government Shutdown and Restore DHS Funding for TSA Workers, emphasizing risks to the National Airspace System.
Calls to Action
The CEOs urged immediate DHS funding and passage of the Aviation Funding Solvency Act, Aviation Funding Stability Act for air traffic controllers, and Keep America Flying Act for TSA protections.
It’s past time for the government to make sure that TSA officers, U.S. Customs clearance officers at airports and air traffic controllers are paid for the job they do.
Signatories include Robert Isom (American), Ed Bastian (Delta), Scott Kirby (United), Bob Jordan (Southwest), Ben Minicucci (Alaska), Joanna Geraghty (JetBlue), and others from cargo carriers, via Airlines for America.
Media and Public Response
Coverage appeared in The Guardian, AP, and UPI. On X, posts from USA Today noted hours-long waits (8.5K+ views), while others discussed quits and stock impacts.
US Airline CEOs Urge Congress to End Government Shutdown and Restore DHS Funding for TSA Workers amid ongoing aviation challenges. This relates to airlines news today, with related coverage.
