Inaction Hampers Industry Operations, Delays Critical Upgrade Projects

Capt. Jason Ambrosi, President of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l, sent the following message to the more than 80,000 pilots represented by the union:

Fellow ALPA Pilots,

As we begin yet another U.S. Federal Government shutdown, we face a setback not just for our country but also for aviation safety. As a result of inaction in Washington, our partners, like air traffic controllers and transportation security officers, will be working without pay. Other federal employees who support safe operations are furloughed, while many more face the prospect of termination. Even after the shutdown ends, long-term projects that paused, like infrastructure improvements, could be delayed. Our pilot groups in mediated negotiations will also face additional delays in their negotiation process as the National Mediation Board halts operations.

Put simply, this shutdown is bad for ALPA, the airline industry, and the safety of our skies. For years, ALPA has advocated for reliable, long-term funding to protect the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from being caught in this type of political gridlock. The staffing shortages and safety setbacks caused by past government shutdowns were unacceptable, just as they are today. To maintain the highest safety standards, uninterrupted funding to sustain the system that safely moves 2.9 million passengers and 59,000 tons of cargo every day is the necessary path forward.

We anticipate that most systems that pilots use on a day-to-day basis will remain operational. It is our understanding the aeromedical office and staff will continue working as essential functions of the FAA, as well as those functions related to airworthiness. National Transportation Safety Board staff will work on accident and incident investigations, and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will continue its mission, including Known Crewmember (KCM).

As airline operations continue during the shutdown, we will all need to be vigilant, avoid distractions, and remain laser-focused on safe and secure operations. We will face fewer resources dedicated to keeping aviation safe and secure until the shutdown ends. As you use KCM or go through airport security, please be mindful that TSA agents are working without a paycheck—same with our partners at the National Air Traffic Controllers Association and the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, as well as other federal employees—while fulfilling their roles in keeping us all safe and secure. We stand in solidarity with the federal employees we rely on.

We send our elected representatives to Washington to make government work, and now it is up to our leaders to come together to reach a deal to reopen the government with stable long-term funding, especially for the government’s critical aviation safety system. As the shutdown continues, our pilot volunteers and government affairs team, along with our union partners across the industry, will keep pressure on elected leaders to mitigate the threats to aviation safety, reopen the government, and address any setbacks to our system caused by this latest funding lapse.

In unity,

FMI:  www.alpa.org/