The US aviation sector is facing yet another potential crisis as a partial government shutdown kicks in, threatening air traffic control (ATC) operations. Airlines are urgently pushing Congress to pass laws ensuring air traffic controllers and key FAA staff get paid during funding lapses—preventing the chaos seen in the record-breaking 43-day shutdown late last year. That prolonged lapse (October-November 2025) led to massive strain: controllers worked mandatory overtime without full pay (including $0 paychecks), fatigue spiked, absences surged, and the FAA imposed up to 10% flight cuts at 40 major airports. The fallout? Thousands of cancellations and delays daily, over 6 million passengers disrupted, 50,000+ flights affected, and an economic hit exceeding $7 billion (around $150M+ per