Aviation sector presses Congress for emergency air traffic control funding
Leaders across the U.S. aviation sector are calling on Congress for emergency funding for the nation’s strained air traffic control system.
In a letter Wednesday, major airlines joined forces with unions representing pilots, flight attendants and air traffic controllers — along with the American travel industry’s top lobbying group — calling for swift action on the heels of two major accidents involving U.S. airlines.
“We are united in our grief over recent aviation accidents and our commitment to making sure accidents like these never happen again,” the letter to congressional leaders, viewed by TPG, said.
Nationwide, the aviation sector has drawn heightened scrutiny following the Jan. 29 midair collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). Sixty-seven people died in the accident, making it the worst crash involving a U.S. airline in nearly 16 years.
This week, 21 people were injured when a Delta Air Lines regional jet crashed and flipped upside down upon landing in Toronto. All passengers and crewmembers survived the harrowing accident.
While crash investigators have not linked either accident to failings in air traffic control thus far, a nationwide shortage of controllers and antiquated control tower technology have long caused concern throughout the aviation sphere.
The Federal Aviation Administration faces a significant shortage of air traffic controllers, and a late-2024 government watchdog’s report revealed critical deficiencies of key FAA systems.
In Wednesday’s letter, the alliance of airlines, labor and industry leaders called for “robust emergency funding” for critical air traffic control technology and controller hiring, staffing and training.
“We urge you to protect and build upon the baseline investments in the law to enhance safety in the air and on the ground,” the letter read.
The group also called on Congress to make the FAA exempt from government shutdowns, which have disrupted key hiring and training processes several times over the last decade, contributing to the shortage currently faced in our control towers.
Any decision to allocate more funding to the FAA would hinge on congressional approval and a signature from the president — and would supplement the multiyear FAA reauthorization bill passed by Congress last spring.
It’s not yet clear what appetite there would be for stepped-up agency funding among lawmakers.
“Air traffic control modernization would make everyone safer and it is the right thing to do, but there are other lessons to be learned from this,” Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas and chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, said last week on Capitol Hill, reacting to the Jan. 29 crash.
“Now is the time to ask questions about what we can do to further enhance aviation safety," the committee's ranking member, Sen. Maria Cantwell, a Democrat from Washington, said Tuesday.
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump called for “a single bill” focused on air traffic control modernization. The call comes as questions swirl about the involvement of Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency, as well as recent layoffs at the FAA — which Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said affected fewer than 400 probationary employees but “zero air traffic controllers and critical safety personnel" in a recent post on X.
While speaking to TPG last week, the top government relations official at one major U.S. airline said the carrier was optimistic recent momentum could lead to air traffic control reforms.
“The industry’s come together to say this is our number one priority,” Rob Land, JetBlue's head of government affairs, said Feb. 11. “In the past, over the last few decades, it’s been very hard to get our industry, which is super competitive, to agree on anything, let alone we have a number one priority we all agree is number one.”
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.