A U.S. flag flies in front of the White House as people walk by, weeks into the continuing U.S. government shutdown, in Washington, D.C., U.S., October 24, 2025. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper/File Photo

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The CEOs of American Airlines and United Airlines will attend a White House roundtable on Thursday to press for an end to the 30-day government shutdown after a surge in flight delays blamed on air traffic controller absences, sources told Reuters.

United CEO Scott Kirby and American CEO Robert Isom will join Vice President JD Vance, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Airlines for America CEO Chris Sununu, Air Line Pilots Association President Jason Ambrosi and others at a roundtable on the impact of the shutdown that has forced 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers to work without pay, the sources added.

United confirmed Kirby would attend. American, Delta and Southwest did not immediately comment. Airlines have repeatedly urged an end to the shutdown, citing aviation safety risks.

The meeting comes as the shutdown exacerbates pre-existing staffing shortages, forcing more than 63,000 air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration officers to work without pay. This has led to a spike in unscheduled absences, threatening to cause widespread disruptions similar to those that helped end a 2019 government shutdown.

Duffy said 44% of delays on Sunday and 24% on Monday were caused by air traffic controller absences, compared to 5% on average before the shutdown.

Hundreds of air traffic controllers have taken second jobs to pay bills after missing their first full paycheck on Tuesday and airlines and others are donating food to TSA agents and other federal workers at airports.

The FAA is about 3,500 air traffic controllers short of targeted staffing levels and many had been working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks even before the shutdown.

A 2019 35-day shutdown ended after a spike in absences by controllers and TSA officers successfully put pressure on Washington to reopen the government.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)