‘Dangerous Game:’ Unions Warn Shutdown Risks Aviation Safety

Federal aviation employees were widely credited with ending the last government shutdown.

Jack Daleo

Wednesday, October 08, 2025 at 05:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

FAA headquarters in Washington, D.C. [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

Unions are urgently warning that the ongoing government shutdown is critically jeopardizing aviation safety, citing unpaid federal workers like air traffic controllers, increased distractions, and unsafe working conditions.
Over 11,000 FAA employees, including engineers and certification personnel, are furloughed, halting vital safety and technology work and threatening the modernization of the air traffic control system.
The shutdown has already caused significant flight disruptions and delays at major airports due to staffing shortages, prompting unions to challenge White House threats of permanent federal worker layoffs and demand Congress resolve the budget impasse.

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“This is a dangerous game,” Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), said during a news briefing Wednesday outside the headquarters of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) in Washington, D.C.

Nelson joined representatives from AFGE, the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), and other public and private unions to urge Congress to reopen the federal government, warning that a prolonged shutdown could endanger aviation safety.