Letters to the Editor: Why aren’t airlines stepping in to help cover shutdown funding cuts?
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To the editor: The U.S. government has bailed out airlines using taxpayer money on multiple occasions — notably, after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The latter included payroll support for continuing employee wages and benefits, as well as U.S. Treasury loans.
The current disruption of domestic air traffic caused by non-payment of TSA and air traffic controller wages due to a government shutdown poses both a safety and national security risk (“Up to 1,800 flights a day could be disrupted by airport cuts; California to be hard hit,” Nov. 6). Not to mention, an economic catastrophe for private commerce and tourism as well as the airline industry.
Why aren’t the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration asking airlines to help compensate this labor force on an emergency basis in order to keep our airports open and running? Isn’t this common sense? It would seem, after all, that airlines will suffer substantial economic setbacks while 10% of flights are cut in the coming weeks.
Steve Mathis, Beverly Hills
