Members of the U.S. Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation, Space and Innovation heard new details Wednesday about how the 43-day government shutdown affected aviation operations. Witnesses outlined reports of heightened delays and expenses, near misses, spikes in resignations and a controller suicide.
National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) President Nick Daniels said the shutdown also led to resignations of students at the FAA Academy, noting that some trainees left after determining they could not relocate without income upon completing the program.
Close Calls and Flight Reductions
Airlines for America (A4A) CEO Chris Sununu testified that carriers and the FAA tracked multiple taxiway close calls in the weeks before the FAA issued an emergency order reducing flight volumes. He said the locations of staffing challenges shifted daily rather than concentrating in one region, complicating operational planning.
Sununu pointed to Halloween as one of the most difficult days, citing a steep rise in controller call-outs during the shutdown and noting that cancellations increased rapidly once reductions were in place because aircraft and crew repositioning became harder to maintain.
Certification Delays and Workforce Questions
Certification and oversight delays also drew attention. General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) President James Viola said the FAA was unable to initiate new certification projects during the shutdown and that roughly 600 technical candidates saw their hiring processes halted.
Senators also referenced earlier comments from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who had cited “56 retirements a day” at FAA during the lapse. Members said they have not yet received data to substantiate that number and emphasized its significance for understanding staffing and oversight capacity.
Committee Outlines Next Steps
Looking ahead, senators said the subcommittee plans to advance the fiscal 2026 transportation appropriations bill and hold a follow-up hearing with the Transportation Secretary and FAA Administrator to review modernization funding and remaining shutdown-related impacts.
Members also noted continued consideration of the Aviation Funding Stability Act, which would allow FAA operations to continue during future funding lapses, and emphasized ongoing oversight of controller hiring targets set in the 2024 FAA reauthorization.
