'Unacceptable' | Air traffic controllers working unpaid as airline CEOs demand end to government shutdown

As the government shutdown drags into its fifth week, airline executives are pleading for an end to it, saying that it is "unacceptable" that air traffic controllers are working without pay, particularly heading into the busy holiday season.

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said the standoff is “putting stress on people” and “putting stress on the economy.”

He added, “It’s not fair to those people. Airlines are a pretty good real-time indicator of the economy, and we start to see, still minor, but steep booking impact. And you see that happening in the economy. We put the whole economy at risk.”

Kirby and other industry leaders, including Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Airlines for America CEO Chris Sununu, and American Airlines CEO Robert Isom, met with Vice President JD Vance to discuss the growing impact on aviation.