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Senate subcommittee hears stark testimony on shutdown’s toll on FAA staff, urges funding fixes
Summary
Witnesses told the Senate subcommittee that the recent 43‑day federal shutdown strained air traffic control staffing, delayed certifications and cost the economy, and urged passage of the Aviation Funding Stability Act and FY2026 appropriations to prevent future operational disruption.
Chairman Moran convened the Senate Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation to examine how the 43‑day federal government shutdown affected air travel, FAA operations and the aviation workforce. Witnesses described unpaid work, staffing shortfalls and cascading operational effects that they said jeopardized both service reliability and long‑term recruitment.
Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Control Association, told senators that controllers “received 1 partial paycheck and $20 paychecks despite working full time” during the shutdown and said the system operates with roughly 10,800 certified professional controllers where there should be about 14,633. “No American should ever be forced to work without a paycheck,” Daniels testified, arguing that the shutdown reduced “the margins of safety that we and the flying public depend on.”
Chris Sununu, president and…
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