The Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), the largest pilots’ union in the United States, is urging President Donald Trump to take steps to immediately end the partial government shutdown “that is adversely affecting the safety, security and efficiency of our National Airspace System.”
The shutdown began Dec. 22, with the president and Congress unable to agree on legislation authorizing further funding for a number of federal agencies. Trump wants the legislation to include $5 billion to build a wall on the U.S. border with Mexico; Democrats, joined by some Republicans, oppose provisions for the wall.
The Department of Transportation, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Department of Homeland Security are among the affected agencies.
“When any of their responsibilities are placed on pause due to a shutdown, there are safety, security and efficiency gaps that immediately emerge,” ALPA President Capt. Joe DePete said in a letter to T…
