GTBA Welcomes the End of Government Shutdown and Calls for Ongoing Bi-Partisan Co-operation to Prevent Further Shutdowns

The Global Business Travel Association, GBTA, the leading voice of the global business travel industry, welcomes the news that the United States Congress has passed a continuing resolution to reopen the government through January 30 and provide backpay to federal workers.

"It's reassuring to see things moving in the right direction. The impact of the shutdown has been of huge concern to our members, with U.S. travel management company members polled only this week increasingly concerned about TSA mandated flight reductions at major U.S. airports. We hope that flight schedules will quickly return to normal," said Suzanne Neufang, CEO of GBTA. "Productive business travel is a cornerstone of a healthy U.S. economy as well as relationship building in times of economic uncertainty. Going forward, we hope Congress can continue this collaboration as they revisit the budget at the end of January."

The past 43 days have led to concerns across the business travel sector which plays an important role in the lives of Americans and the U.S. and global economies. Business travel is a critical contributor to the U.S. economy, contributing $421 billion annually in direct spending according to GBTA's 2024 U.S. Economic Impact Study. As the U.S. government resumes critical federal operations in the travel sector, the association remains committed to working with policymakers to support the millions of corporate travelers and corporate travel professionals who depend on U.S. travel infrastructure.

With the signing of the continuing resolution, the association looks forward to continued bi-partisan cooperation as the government reevaluates the federal budget over the coming months.

Demonstrating the scale of concern across the sector, according to a recent GBTA member poll, virtually all TMC professionals (94%) polled reported being concerned about flight cancellations at major U.S. airports as a result of the government shutdown, including 67% who were very concerned. The results were similar on the supplier side where 97% of suppliers expressed concerns over cancellations, with 63% reporting to be very concerned.