A Delta Airlines plane takes off near the air traffic control tower at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025.
Samuel Corum | Bloomberg | fake images
Delta Airlines, united airlines and american airlines called on Congress on Thursday to reopen the US government and pay air traffic controllers, and Delta urged senators to “immediately pass a clean continuing resolution.”
American air traffic controllers lost their first full paychecks Tuesday as the government shutdown drags on into a fourth week with no end in sight as Republican and Democratic senators remain deadlocked.
“Missed paychecks only add to the stress of these essential workers, many of whom are already working mandatory overtime to keep our skies safe,” Delta said in a statement Thursday.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian had warned earlier this month that the airline could suffer the impacts of an extended shutdown.
Vice President JD Vance and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy hosted a roundtable at the White House Thursday afternoon with the lobbying group Airlines for America, whose members include Delta, United, American and others.
“Airlines remain focused on preserving safety and seeking to mitigate the operational impacts of this closure,” Airlines for America said in a statement. “We are expecting a record-breaking holiday travel season; however, if the shutdown continues much longer, Americans will have to be patient and prepared for further delays, unfortunately.”
United CEO Scott Kirby told reporters outside the White House that Congress should pass a clean, continuing resolution, adding that the shutdown is putting pressure on the economy.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby, along with US Vice President JD Vance and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, speak to reporters outside the White House on October 30, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Kevin Dietsch | Getty Images News | fake images
American Airlines said it was unacceptable for federal employees to work without pay.
“A prolonged closure will lead to more delays and cancellations, and the American people, especially during the busy holiday season, deserve better,” the company said in a statement.
Air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration officers are essential employees who must work during the shutdown even if they do not receive regular paychecks.
The missed paychecks come at a time when controllers are facing a prolonged staffing shortage. There are 3,800 fewer fully certified controllers than the FAA's goal, according to Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.
“These additional distractions will compound existing risks in a system that is already under strain,” Daniels said in an op-ed in The Hill on Tuesday.
“Each day that the shutdown continues, the National Airspace System becomes less secure than the day before, as controllers' focus shifts from their critical safety tasks to their financial uncertainty,” he said.
The shutdown began Oct. 1 after Senate Republicans and Democrats failed to reach a deal to keep the government open.
Democratic senators are insisting that Republicans agree to extend the Affordable Care Act's enhanced health insurance subsidies before voting on funding to reopen the government.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated Wednesday that a four-week shutdown would cost the economy at least $7 billion by the end of 2026. A six-week shutdown would cost the economy $11 billion, and an eight-week shutdown would cost $14 billion, according to CBO estimates.
Flights have been delayed at several US airports over the past month, but the severe disruptions that preceded the end of the longest shutdown in history, between late 2018 and early 2019, have not occurred.
—CNBC Leslie Joseph contributed to this report.
