Airline CEOs urge Congress to end shutdown and pay airport TSA officers

Nearly month-long funding lapse has disrupted US air travel and caused long wait times amid security officers’ absences The CEOs of major US airlines urged Congress on Sunday to move quickly to end a 29-day partial government shutdown that has forced 50,000 airport security officers to work without pay, warning it could further disrupt US air travel. Absences by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers had already disrupted travel at some major airports over the previous week, raising alarm as the busy spring break travel season continues. “Too many travelers are having to wait in extraordinarily long – and painfully slow – lines at checkpoints,” wrote the CEOs of American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Alaska Airlines and others in an open letter to Congress. They added: “First, leaders should immediately come together to reach an agreement to fund the Department of Homeland Security. Then they need to act so this problem never happens again.” Last fall, a 43-day government shutdown led to widespread flight disruptions and the FAA ordered a 10% flight cut at major airports. “Once again air travel is the political footb