FAA Shutdown-Proofed: New Bill Automatically Funds Air Traffic Control for 30 Days Using Trust Fund Cash

The newly introduced Aviation Funding Stability Act of 2025 is essentially a legislative insurance policy for the skies. It creates an automatic funding mechanism for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in case Congress fails to pass a budget or a continuing resolution on time—the dreaded government shutdown. If that happens, this bill allows the FAA Administrator to pull money directly from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund to keep the lights on and the planes flying.

The Trust Fund Safety Net

Think of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund as the FAA’s dedicated savings account, funded primarily by taxes on things like airline tickets and aviation fuel. Under Section 2 of this Act, if a budget lapse occurs, the FAA can immediately start drawing on unassigned funds from this account to cover its main operational areas: Operations (that’s air traffic control), Facilities and Equipment, Research, and Airport Grants. This means the critical functions—like air traffic controllers showing up for work and ongoing airport construction projects—don’t grind to a halt just because of a budget fight in D.C.

This is a big deal for anyone who flies or works in aviation. When the FAA shuts down, it doesn't mean air travel stops, but it does mean crucial safety inspections slow down, air traffic controllers work without pay, and long-term projects (like modernizing equipment) are delayed. This bill aims to stop that chaos before it starts, ensuring stability for the people who manage our airspace and the businesses that rely on it.

Spending Caps and the 30-Day Clock

While the funding kicks in automatically, it’s not a blank check. The bill strictly limits spending to the rate the FAA was operating at during the previous fiscal year. They can’t start any new, expensive programs; they can only maintain the status quo. This prevents the agency from using the shutdown as an excuse to ramp up spending. Crucially, the temporary funding automatically expires after 30 days. This hard stop is a pressure cooker: it ensures that Congress still has to pass a final budget quickly, preventing the FAA from relying on this emergency fund indefinitely. If a final budget or continuing resolution passes within those 30 days, the temporary funding stops immediately, and all the money spent is charged against that final appropriation.

The Real-World Impact

For the average person, this bill is about reliability and safety. Imagine you’re a traveler trying to get home for the holidays, or a logistics manager whose supply chain depends on timely air cargo. A government shutdown that shutters most non-essential services is one thing, but one that disrupts air traffic control is a major problem. This bill prevents that disruption. For a construction company working on an airport expansion funded by an FAA grant, this means their project doesn't suddenly stop mid-pour because of a political stalemate. The rules and conditions for all these projects remain exactly the same as before the shutdown, which keeps things predictable.

One small catch is the 30-day limit. While it forces Congress to act, it also means that if the budget deadlock drags on past a month, the FAA will still face a shutdown, just 30 days later. Also, since the FAA can only spend at the previous year's rate, it locks in any funding issues from the prior year. If last year’s budget was already tight due to inflation or increased operational needs, the FAA will be stuck operating on that lean budget during the emergency period. Overall, though, this is a clean, practical solution designed to keep a critical part of our national infrastructure running smoothly when the political gears seize up.