A Senate aviation panel will meet next week to examine how the recent 43-day government shutdown affected the national airspace system. The hearing, scheduled for Nov. 19, will take place before the Senate Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation.
National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) President Nick Daniels, Airlines for America (A4A) President and CEO Chris Sununu and General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) President Jim Viola are slated to testify.
Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), who chairs the subcommittee, said the shutdown “has severely impacted our already fragile aviation industry” and noted that “recovering from its effects will take time.”
He referenced recent strain across the system, including reduced air traffic levels at major airports and pressures on the controller and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workforces.
“I look forward to discussing with industry how Congress can work to alleviate the strain on air traffic controllers and TSA agents, as well as ensure safety for passengers and sustainable operations for our airlines, general and business aviation stakeholders,” Moran said.
Throughout the shutdown, the Federal Aviation Administration restricted flight capacity at 40 high-volume airports, reaching a 6 percent reduction by Wednesday. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford paused additional cuts after seeing fewer controller absences, though earlier plans called for reductions rising to 10 percent by Friday.
Daniels noted at a press conference Monday that it took about two months for controllers to be fully compensated after the 2019 funding lapse, while Duffy told CNN that 15–20 controllers were retiring daily during the shutdown.
Industry leaders have made calls for officials to find ways to avoid a similar situation from arising again in the event of future shutdowns.
“We implore Congress to ensure future funding bills do not allow aviation to become collateral damage in Washington’s policy debates,” A4A said in a recent release. “The FAA’s Airport and Airway Trust Fund currently has $5 billion that could be used to pay air traffic controllers during future shutdowns. We ask Congress to consider legislation that would implement a long-term solution.”
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