Major airlines urge Congress to pay air traffic controllers in event of government shutdown

⁠Airlines ‌for ⁠America, which represents American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United ‍Airlines, Southwest Airlines and other major carriers, said "Congress ​needs to understand the real-world consequences that ⁠impact the American public if planes cannot fly due ⁠to a shutdown.

Major U.S. airlines on Thursday urged Congress ‌to pay air traffic controllers in the event of a ⁠partial government shutdown after the industry suffered a major disruption during a 43-day standoff ​last fall.

The U.S. government could again face ‍a partial shutdown as soon as Saturday over an ongoing dispute over the Homeland Security Department. ⁠Airlines ‌for ⁠America, which represents American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United ‍Airlines, Southwest Airlines and other major carriers, said "Congress ​needs to understand the real-world consequences that ⁠impact the American public if planes cannot fly due ⁠to a shutdown. As we saw three months ago, shutdowns place significant ⁠strain on the entire aviation industry, impacting travelers, shippers ⁠and ‌the federal employees who keep our aviation system safe."