March 16, 2026 — Washington, D.C. — CEOs from ten major U.S. airlines, including American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, Alaska Airlines, JetBlue Airways, FedEx, and UPS, published a joint open letter in The Washington Post on March 15, urging Congress to end the 29-day partial government shutdown and restore Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding for approximately 50,000 unpaid TSA officers.
The executives highlighted severe disruptions at major airports during peak spring break travel, projected to involve 171 million passengers—a 4% increase year-over-year—with security lines stretching two to four hours at hubs like Atlanta, Chicago O’Hare, and Houston Hobby. More than 300 TSA staff have quit since mid-February, doubling absenteeism and threatening widespread flight delays and cancellations, reports from The Hill and AP News noted.
Letter Details and Criticism
In the open letter, shared by Airlines for America, the CEOs decried lawmakers for turning air travel into a “political football.”
“Air travel is once again being turned into a political football,” the executives stated, as reported by Fox News.
They demanded immediate DHS funding restoration to pay TSA workers and proposed permanent reforms, including the Aviation Funding Solvency Act, to guarantee compensation for TSA, Customs, and air traffic controllers during future shutdowns, according to The Guardian.
Widespread Media Coverage
The letter drew broad attention on March 15-16, 2026. Reuters reported the CEOs’ call to end the standoff, while USA Today emphasized pressure ahead of record spring travel. Social media posts from Airlines for America and others, including CHItraders, amplified details on quits and line delays.
Additional coverage appeared in ABC News, Barron’s, UPI, Bloomberg Government, and Forth News, confirming the story’s traction amid the ongoing shutdown.
