Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA) today sent a letter to President Donald J. Trump, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell urging them to resolve the current federal government shutdown as quickly as possible due to the negative impacts the impasse is having on critical safety and security programs and airport operations.
“Due to the shutdown, the programs, protocols, and personnel at the federal agencies directly responsible for supporting the U.S. aviation industry – namely the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) – are all limited to essential operations,” ACI-NA President and CEO Kevin M. Burke wrote. “As this shutdown drags on, ACI-NA and our members are increasingly concerned about the ability of these key federal agencies to continue providing the safety and security services that are so critical at U.S. airports, as well as at international airports with CBP preclearance facilities.”
Key excerpts from the letter include:
- The significant reduction in federal operations under the shutdown is already causing numerous problems at our nation’s airports, such as longer wait times at TSA checkpoints and CBP air ports-of-entry, suspended reviews of airport infrastructure improvement projects that could delay them beyond the spring/summer construction season, and canceled Global Entry interviews for hundreds of prospective enrollees.
- CBP faces similar staffing challenges, as both passengers and cargo are likely to face increased processing times during the shutdown due to staffing shortages at air ports-of-entry. Current insufficient CBP staffing of 3,600 officers system-wide results in long passenger wait times and missed flight connections, thereby discouraging international travelers, who spend an average of $4,000 per visit, from traveling to the United States. A prolonged federal shutdown will only worsen these staffing challenges and further suppress travel demand to the United States, inflicting additional harm on the national economy.
- FAA’s non-exempt employees involved with regulatory compliance, licensing, and certification; research and development; preventive maintenance; new system/capability deployment; and safety oversight are no longer on the job, and their mission-critical work is expected to be interrupted for the duration of the shutdown. As a result, no one will be there to develop and approve enhanced flight procedures, install and maintain navigational aids and air traffic control support systems, coordinate the review of applications for new or expanded airport facilities, or hire and train new air traffic controllers. Furthermore, FAA’s exempt employees must focus on day-to-day operations, eliminating their ability to participate in important activities like coordinating with airport staff on upcoming construction projects or supporting community outreach.
“As this shutdown drags on into its third week, ACI-NA strongly urges you to fully reopen the federal government, and we stand ready to work with you to restore the U.S. aviation system to its full operating capacity so it can effectively meet our country’s growing passenger and cargo needs,” Burke wrote.
The full letter is available here.
