Airlines for America President and CEO Chris Sununu praised the nation's air traffic controllers for their dedication and professionalism during the ongoing government shutdown, noting to Newsmax that these essential workers continue to keep America's skies safe despite a lapse in their pay just before the holiday season.
Appearing Friday morning on "National Report," Sununu highlighted the strain being placed on air traffic control personnel as the shutdown stretches on, warning that financial pressures could soon drive many to seek other employment.
"These guys, these men and women, are going to work going on two weeks now without pay," Sununu said.
"They keep coming in, God bless them, and I think, look, not just to throw it right out there, but President [Donald] Trump, [Transportation] Secretary [Sean] Duffy, [and] FAA Administrator Brian Bedford have done a terrific job mitigating what I thought would be a lot worse by now."
Despite the lack of pay, Sununu said the nation's airspace remains safe thanks to the controllers' commitment.
"We have some small pockets of delays, as the secretary said," he noted.
"We're going to sacrifice a little bit of speed for a lot of safety. So, people should know the planes are going to land safe."
Still, Sununu expressed growing concern that the longer the shutdown lasts, the harder it will be to keep these critical employees on the job.
"As the days go on, as the weeks go on, whether it's a delivery driver or an Uber driver, [as] the holiday season picks up, places like UPS will be bringing all these great temporary drivers, and there's always other opportunities in this economy," he said.
"You just can't keep asking people to not get a paycheck."
Sununu praised the Trump administration for the "phenomenal job" it's doing mitigating the effects of the shutdown but warned that the ripple effects of a prolonged federal closure could quickly undermine the aviation system.
"You can't take that for granted," he said. "These are still men and women going to work without pay. And why?"
"Because we want to have a whole 'nother healthcare discussion and hold up the government. It's just politics."
While confident the standoff will end soon, Sununu stressed that Congress must act swiftly to ensure stability.
"This shutdown doesn't make sense to anybody except to a couple folks in Washington, D.C.," he said. "It's time to get these men and women paid."
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