March 15, 2026 — Washington, D.C. — US Airline CEOs Urge Congress to End Partial Government Shutdown Impacting TSA Workers and Causing Airport Delays, as executives from American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Alaska Air Group, FedEx, UPS, and Atlas Air sent an open letter via Airlines for America (A4A) calling for funding to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and legislation ensuring pay for TSA officers, Customs officers, and air traffic controllers during shutdowns.
The 29-day partial government shutdown, which began February 13, 2026, over immigration reform disputes, has left approximately 50,000 TSA officers without paychecks, prompting over 300 resignations, doubled absences, and security lines of 2-4 hours at major airports including Houston Hobby, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Newark, according to the letter reported by Reuters and The Guardian.
Key Impacts on Air Travel
US Airline CEOs Urge Congress to End Partial Government Shutdown Impacting TSA Workers and Causing Airport Delays amid record spring break travel projections of 171 million passengers, up 4% year-over-year. Airlines have reported flight delays, cancellations, and mitigation efforts like holding flights, with prior shutdowns leading to 10% flight cuts, as noted in Bloomberg and CNBC.
TSA officers just received $0 paychecks. That is simply unacceptable.
Once again air travel is the political football.
The open letter, published in the Washington Post and shared by A4A on X, includes these quotes from the 10 signatories: American’s Robert Isom, Delta’s Ed Bastian, United’s Scott Kirby, Southwest’s Bob Jordan, JetBlue’s Joanna Geraghty, and others.
Shutdown Context and Public Support
This marks the third shutdown in under a year affecting TSA workers, following a prior 43-day event, per AP News. Bipartisan Senate funding efforts failed, with Democrats refusing DHS funding amid disputes. A March 9-10 AlphaROC poll shows 93% of Americans support pay during shutdowns, as cited in Fortune.
US Airline CEOs Urge Congress to End Partial Government Shutdown Impacting TSA Workers and Causing Airport Delays by passing measures like the Aviation Funding Solvency/Stability Acts and Keep America Flying Act. Coverage from BBC, Business Insider, and USA Today on X highlights ongoing chaos, including officers taking second jobs or quitting.
The letter calls for immediate bipartisan action to avert further disruptions during peak travel season.
