United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby warned Thursday that the ongoing U.S. government shutdown could soon begin to hurt airline bookings if it continues much longer. Although operations have so far remained stable, Kirby cautioned that prolonged political gridlock risks undermining consumer confidence and the broader economy.
“The longer this goes on, the greater the risk to demand,” he said on an earnings call, describing the potential fallout as an “unforced error” that could slow travel spending just as airlines brace for the holiday season.
Shutdown Enters Third Week
The shutdown began on October 1 after Congress failed to pass a funding bill, forcing thousands of federal workers to go unpaid. Essential employees—including Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers and air traffic controllers—remain on the job, but morale and staffing pressures are mounting.
Kirby said that in the early days of the shutdown, most travelers assumed the dispute would be resolved quickly. “At least for the first couple of weeks, people thought it was going to get resolved, so they just continued business as usual,” he said. “But as time goes on, as people read headlines and say, ‘it’s not going to get resolved soon,’ people start to lose confidence in the government’s ability to resolve this. And that’s going to start to impact bookings.”
Airlines Monitor Impact on Confidence and Staffing
Kirby emphasized that United has not yet seen a measurable drop in ticket sales but warned that sentiment can shift quickly. “There isn’t an exact cutoff,” he said, “but every day that goes by, the risk to the U.S. economy grows.”
His comments echo similar remarks from Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian, who last week said a prolonged shutdown could weaken consumer confidence even though Delta’s operations remain unaffected. Both executives highlighted the risks facing the aviation system as federal workers continue to perform critical safety duties without pay.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has raised concerns about thin staffing among air traffic controllers, saying shortages last week disrupted flights at airports in Nashville, Tennessee, and Burbank, California. Members of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association have distributed leaflets at LaGuardia Airport in New York, Washington, D.C., and Chicago, urging the public to pressure lawmakers to end the shutdown.
Memories of 2018 Shutdown Loom
Industry leaders recall that the 2018-2019 government shutdown—which lasted more than a month—ended only after air travel disruptions escalated. That impasse culminated in widespread flight delays and cancellations across the New York region when controller shortages reached a breaking point.
The current standoff, now entering its third week, has revived fears of a repeat. A drawn-out closure could strain the nation’s already stressed aviation infrastructure, slow airport modernization projects, and weaken consumer demand for travel—all of which would add to the airline industry’s challenges heading into 2026.
Outlook
For now, United and other major carriers continue operating normally, but executives across the industry agree that the risks grow daily. As Kirby put it, “Every day that goes by, the risk to the U.S. economy grows. I hope we can avoid an unforced error here.”