Stop Funding Lapses for Aviation Operations

The summer of 2026 marked a peak in air travel, with Labor Day weekend anticipated to set a new record for traffic in our skies. Amidst this, Congress is approaching budget deadlines again. Lawmakers prepare to leverage the threat of a government shutdown as a negotiation tool. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the airline industry remain tense. Past shutdowns have put immense strain on aviation, and rising fuel costs due to the war in Iran now add significant financial pressure.

Stability in aviation funding is crucial. Congress has yet to shield the FAA from funding gaps. The agency overseeing our airspace should not face funding instability whenever Congress meets a budget deadline. Air traffic controllers, TSA officers, and Customs and Border Patrol workers should not be caught in political battles in Washington.

Those who traveled during the 2025 holiday season witnessed severe disruptions. TSA lines were hours long, and many flights experienced delays or cancellations. Staffing shortages in air traffic control during the 2025 shutdown led to 15,600 flight delays and 7,100 cancellations, impacting over six million travelers. Combined with this year’s Department of Homeland Security shutdown, these disruptions cost more than $6 billion economically.

“Aviation functions as an interconnected system.”

The situation worsens when Congress lets air traffic controllers, TSA officers, and Customs officers work without pay for extended periods. Although they eventually receive back pay, regular bills persist. As fatigue and missed paychecks grow, employee callouts increase. Federal aviation facilities end up understaffed. The existing shortage of air traffic controllers means even slight increases in absences cause major disruption.

The FAA cannot maintain normal traffic with too few controllers. Flight numbers in affected airspace decrease, causing airlines to delay or cancel departures, reposition aircraft, and rebook passengers. Disruptions then spread: late aircraft miss departures, flight crews hit work hour limits, and planes end up in incorrect cities. Increased callouts among TSA and Customs officers lead to prolonged security lines and slower customs processing. Cargo deliveries also see delays.

Frequent shutdowns are driving people away from federal aviation. More than a thousand TSA officers have resigned after recent funding lapses. Prospective air traffic controllers face a career with potential pay disruptions due to unrelated political issues. Such conditions make alternative careers appealing.

By allowing politically motivated shutdowns to affect essential FAA employees, Congress makes these careers less attractive. This happens at a time when the agency must recruit and train thousands of new controllers. In the short term, Congress needs to finish the fiscal year 2027 appropriations process on time. Funding federal aviation programs for the full year should proceed without delay. Lawmakers should pass a continuing resolution if necessary, preventing any funding gaps.

Congress can and should go beyond surviving deadlines. The Airport and Airway Trust Fund collects taxes and fees from aviation use. Allowing the FAA access to these funds during a lapse ensures controllers are paid, and operations remain normal. Congress’s oversight authority remains intact. The same should apply to TSA and Customs, whose essential personnel can be paid through existing fees.

Aviation is interconnected; insulating only the FAA achieves little if security and customs operations remain vulnerable in funding disputes. We’ve experienced the fallout from Congress’s shutdown fights spilling into airports. Continuing to subject workers, travelers, and businesses to such unnecessary disruptions is unwise. Especially when practical measures exist. Regular-order appropriations should be the priority, but stable access to current aviation funds must be the long-term solution.

Ken Blackwell is the chair of Election Integrity at the America First Policy Institute. He is a former Ohio secretary of state, former mayor of Cincinnati, and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. Blackwell also served as co-chairman of the U.S. Census Monitoring Board.