Large flight delays might start with shutdown; GOP strikes to maintain flights working

EXCLUSIVE: As federal companies hunker down for what might be a protracted authorities shutdown, Rep. Aaron Bean, R-Fla., is introducing a invoice to ensure that Americans’ flights can proceed on schedule regardless of how lengthy the closure lasts.

With the busiest time of the yr for air journey shortly approaching and tens of tens of millions of Americans anticipated to fly within the coming months, an prolonged authorities shutdown might have catastrophic impacts on flight security in addition to Americans’ journey plans.

To fight this, Bean launched a invoice, the “Aviation Funding Stability Act of 2025,” which might be certain that America’s air site visitors controllers and important Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) personnel proceed to be paid, even throughout a shutdown.

In an announcement to Fox News Digital, Bean’s workplace known as the invoice a “preemptive strike against chaos in the control tower, ensuring that the backbone of our aviation system doesn’t buckle under political gridlock.”

13 TIMES DEMOCRATS VOTED FOR A SHORT-TERM CONTINUING RESOLUTION UNDER BIDEN

Rep. Aaron Bean, R-Fla., is introducing a invoice to verify important FAA staff proceed to be paid throughout authorities shutdowns, defending in opposition to large flight delays which have occurred previously. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc through Getty Images AND Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service through Getty Images)

The assertion defined, “This isn’t just about paychecks. It’s about keeping our skies safe, our flights on time, and our economy airborne.”

Air site visitors controllers and different important FAA personnel don’t obtain paychecks throughout authorities shutdowns regardless of being required to work to maintain the nation’s flight schedules protected and on time. Though these federal staff are ultimately paid when the federal government reopens, prolonged durations of time with out a paycheck result in stress on each the employees and the general flight system.

In 2019, on the thirty fifth day of a authorities shutdown, ten air site visitors controllers known as in sick in Virginia and Florida, triggering floor stops at LaGuardia Airport in New York and cascading delays at Newark, Philadelphia and Atlanta.

Bean’s invoice is aimed toward ensuring one thing like that doesn’t occur once more.

WHITE HOUSE PREPARES FOR ‘IMMINENT’ FEDERAL LAYOFFS AFTER DEMOCRATS FORCE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

Travelers examine their telephones whereas navigating delays and flight cancellations on the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport July 19, 2024, in Austin, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

If handed, the invoice would make funds within the Airport and Airway Trust Fund not in any other case appropriated obtainable to be used to proceed paying air site visitors controllers and security inspectors as much as 30 days with out Congress needing to behave, in accordance with a draft of the invoice obtained by Fox News Digital. The funds used would then later be paid again by the official appropriation as soon as it’s handed by Congress.

By primarily borrowing funds from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, which is funded by airline ticket and gasoline taxes and different taxes, the FAA and Americans’ air journey can be shielded from the brunt of a authorities shutdown.

TRUMP TOUTS ‘REBUILDING AND MODERNIZATION’ OF US AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL, BLASTS BUTTIGIEG FOR HAVING ‘NO CLUE’

A Southwest aircraft lands at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va., Dec. 30, 2022.  (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

“While Congress continues negotiations on funding the federal government, I hope we can all agree: The people who keep America’s skies running should be paid on time,” Bean informed Fox News Digital.

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“We can’t afford to let a government shutdown disrupt the backbone of our aviation system,” he added. “That’s why I introduced legislation to ensure our air traffic controllers are paid, and the FAA operates with no interruptions. It’s about protecting public safety and standing up for the aviation professionals who keep our country moving.”