Aviation and travel associations sent a letter to Congress Feb. 12 backing a bill that would provide reserve funds to pay Federal Aviation Administration employees in the event of another government shutdown.

H.R. 1108, the Aviation Funding Stability Act of 2019, would allow the FAA to use the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, which currently has more than $6 billion in it according to the letter, if the government shuts down again. During the recent record-setting shutdown, "air traffic controllers and other aviation safety professionals were forced to work without pay and thousands of others were furloughed," the letter says. Chaos erupted as key personnel called in sick rather than working without pay, resulting in flight delays that some observers think increased political pressure on Congress to reopen the government.

The letter, which was released publicly by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, was sent to the chairmen and ranking members of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and Subcommittee on Aviation. There were 39 signatory groups in total, including the Air Line Pilots Association, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, Airlines for America, Airports Council International—North America, Association of Flight Attendants—CWA, Cargo Airline Association, General Aviation Manufacturers, Regional Airline Association, and U.S. Travel Association, as well as NATCA.

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