Reported by Zach Williams for Bloomberg Government Transportation
A government shutdown threatens aviation safety and the modernization of the air traffic control systems, a “unified aviation community” warns in a Tuesday letter to congressional leaders. “Government shutdowns harm the U.S. economy and degrade the redundancies and margins of safety that our National Airspace System (NAS) is built upon,” reads a le tter signed by more than 50 industry and labor groups including International Air Transport Association, Airlines for America and Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO.
“Short-term shutdowns of just a few days, or even threatened shutdowns that are averted in the eleventh hour, negatively affect the NAS and the traveling public.” A shutdown would mean the FAA would have to suspend hiring and close its training academy in Oklahoma City like in past shutdowns, according to the letter. “The air traffic controller and technician staffing shortage continues to be a critical problem, and a shutdown would make this problem worse by delaying an already-lengthy hiring and training process,” the letter adds.
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