Major US airlines began lobbying Congress to end the government shutdown that entered its 29th day on Thursday.
“Delta Air Lines is urging Congress to quickly pass an ongoing resolution to continue opening up the government to our traffic regulators,” a CELTA spokesperson said in a statement sent to Gizmoto.
In the event of a government shutdown, many government employees lose their jobs. But others considered essential to the protection of life and property, such as air traffic controllers and the TSA, are required to operate without pay or additional support staff.
These workers received reduced pay earlier this month, because the shutdown started a few days into that pay cycle. But on Tuesday, the workers officially missed out on their full pay.
“Missed paychecks increase the pressure on these essential workers, many of whom are already working overtime to enforce keeping our skies safe and secure,” Delta wrote.
Air traffic controllers, who are behind safe air travel, are working overtime to enforce it, working 10 hours a day, six days a week, according to the Labor Union National Air Traffic Association (NATCA).
Historical government shutdowns put a lot of pressure on air travel. If they are not paid, government employees must use extra work to make up for the loss, putting pressure on the team used to operate essential vehicles.
In the past, it has led to groups of air traffic controllers calling in sick. The last closure, which took place from December 2018 to January 2019 under the first administration of Trump for 35 days when ten local controllers were sick at Laguardia Airport and caused widespread flight disruptions in the nation.
“A system under pressure must be scaled back, reducing flexibility and causing delays for millions of people who take to the skies every day,” Delta said in a statement.
Earlier this month, during DELTA’s earnings call, company executives shared that the shutdown’s financial impact has been “less than a million dollars a day,” without specifying how much. In an interview with CNBC that day, which was the ninth day of the shutdown, CEO Ed Bastian suggested that the impact was minimal but could increase if the shutdown continued for 10 days.
On Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal reported that special screening lanes were allowed to receive expedited security checks for Premium Delta One Customers Inactive at two airports due to the government shutdown due to the government shutdown due to the government shutdown due to the government shutdown due to the government shutdown due to the government shutdown due to the government shutdown.
And to call Congress for a quick solution was the CEO at United CEO Scott Kirby.
Kirby joined Vice President JD VAME around the White House on Thursday and spoke to the media afterward.
“When I don’t have a position on the part side and how things should be resolved with health care, it’s been 30 days,” Kirby said. “I also think it’s time for a clean pass, use that as an opportunity to get in the room behind closed doors and discuss the real issues of the American people on both sides of the aisle.”
The “Continuity of Decision” resolution at the heart of both Delta and United’s calls is a Republican-led bishop who passed the House vote. Senate Democrats are currently at odds with it, as they continue to push Republicans to come to the negotiating table on extensions to some of the Obamacare tax rates that are being set immediately.
