Airline CEOs call on US congress to pay 50,000 unpaid TSA workers to prevent further flight disruptions

According Turbo News, the CEOs of several major US airlines on Sunday urged the US congress to end the partial government shutdown that has seen 50,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers go without pay.

The partial government shutdown has been ongoing for 29 days and has caused several public services to go unfunded including the TSA.

Flight delays, longer times in security lines, missed connections and increased cost are some of the ways in which air travelers have been affected during the spring break season – one of the United States busiest air travel periods.

Several cargo carriers including Fedex , UPS and Atlas Air, have joined the following major air lines in calling on the US congress to end the shutdown and pay workers:

• American Airlines
• United Airlines
• Delta Air Lines
• Southwest Airlines
• JetBlue Airways
• Alaska Airlines

Reports indicate that several hundred TSA workers have resigned causing some airports to experience closure of security lanes, reduced screening capacity and longer wait times at airports.

As a result, airlines are urging passengers to:

• arrive at the airport 3-4 hours before departure
• allow extra time for connecting flights
• to constantly check their updates and notifications about their flights

This spring break is expected to see a record breaking 171 million passengers, an increase of 4% over the same 2 – month period in 2025, according to a Guardian report.