By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Former New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, who passed up a chance to run for the U.S. Senate in 2026, will lead the trade group Airlines for America, the group said Monday.
 The influential airline lobbying group includes American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, FedEx, and Southwest Airlines among its members. Sununu, a Republican, will take over on September 9, replacing Nick Calio, a former senior aide to President George W. Bush who headed the group since 2011.
Airlines aggressively lobbied this year for Congress to spend billions of dollars to modernize the United States’ aging air traffic control system, warning it is “failing Americans.”
The Federal Aviation Administration, which is about 3,500 air traffic controllers short of targeted staffing levels, has faced problems with technology and staffing for years. A series of high-profile mishaps, close calls, and a deadly January crash involving an American Airlines regional jet that killed 67 people near Reagan Washington National Airport caused public alarm and prompted new calls for action.
Congress has approved $12.5 billion for air traffic control reform, but airlines and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy want another $19 billion.
The FAA said this month it is proposing to extend flight cuts at Newark, one of the three main airports serving the New York City area, through October 2026 as it continues to face air traffic controller shortage and congestion issues.
Airlines have been fighting a proposal in Congress that would reduce fees charged by Visa and Mastercard, saying it could force them to stop offering rewards credit cards that give consumers frequent flyer miles for making transactions. They also successfully lobbied Congress for $54 billion in COVID-19 bailout funds.
(Reporting by David ShepardsonEditing by Rod Nickel)
