US Airline CEOs Urge End to Shutdown (Staff Shortages, Long Delays Hit Airports Nationwide!)
The heads of major U.S. airlines, such as American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, and JetBlue, have asked Congress to end the ongoing government shutdown. Since February, employees of the Department of Homeland Security, including those who work for the Transportation Security Administration, have not been paid. They said that staffing shortages are already causing problems, with over 300 TSA workers quitting and many others missing work more often.
The CEOs say that these shortages are causing long waits at airports, which are made worse by bad weather and the rise in travel demand in the spring. They asked lawmakers to quickly restore funding and pass a law that guarantees air traffic controllers will continue to get paid during future shutdowns.
Meanwhile, travelers are having to wait longer at big airports, and unions are worried about how hard it is for workers to make ends meet because they have to stay on duty without pay and may not get paid until the shutdown is over.
