(AURN News) — The CEOs of some of the country’s biggest airlines are publicly pressuring Congress, warning that Washington’s partial shutdown is turning airport travel into a mess as spring break ramps up.
In an open letter published Sunday, the leaders of American, Delta, Southwest and JetBlue, along with other major carriers, are demanding lawmakers restore funding for the Department of Homeland Security and make sure federal aviation workers are paid.
The airline leaders pointed to new polling showing 93% of Americans support paying aviation workers during shutdowns, while 88% say long TSA lines are likely to get worse if officers stay on the job without pay. They say TSA officers have already received $0 paychecks.
Some airports are now seeing wait times of two, three and even four hours.
Airlines warned pressure is building, with a record 171 million passengers expected to travel this spring.
The CEOs are backing bipartisan bills that would guarantee pay for TSA officers and air traffic controllers, even when Congress fails to keep the government open.
Click play to listen to the report from AURN White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris. For more news, follow @E_N_McMorris & @aurnonline.
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