Why it Matters

The air traffic control system is under pressure from multiple directions simultaneously. A staffing shortfall of roughly 3,000 controllers below FAA safety targets, the January 2025 midair collision near Reagan National Airport that killed 67 people, and a March 2026 runway collision at LaGuardia have collectively elevated aviation safety to one of the most urgent issues before Congress. For NATCA, the legislative stakes are high: funding levels, hiring mandates, workforce protections, and controller working conditions are all subject to congressional action. The union's lobbying strategy appears aimed at ensuring that as lawmakers respond to public pressure for reform, the workforce at the center of the system has a seat at the table.

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By the Numbers

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association filed its first quarter 2026 lobbying disclosure filing with Squire Patton Boggs, reporting $60,000 in external lobbying expenditures — a steady investment as Congress grapples with a cascading series of aviation safety incidents and a chronic shortage of certified controllers.

Over the prior year, the union engaged five separate lobbying registrants and fielded more than 15 individual lobbyists across 20 filings. The largest single filings came from NATCA's own in-house lobbying operation, reaching up to $470,000 in the second quarter of 2025.

The external lobbying roster includes:

  • Squire Patton Boggs — Five filings over the past year, including the current first quarter 2026 report
  • Sullivan Strategies LLC — Five filings focused on FAA reauthorization and appropriations
  • S-3 Group LLC — Five filings covering FAA funding and federal employee issues
  • Jerry Costello Group LLC — Four filings on appropriations and continuing resolutions
  • NATCA itself — Four in-house filings, the largest by dollar amount

The first quarter 2026 Squire Patton Boggs filing at $60,000 is consistent with prior quarters from that firm. The lobbying team on this filing consists of three individuals: Austin Harrison, Rebekah Sungala, and Bill Shuster.

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The Lobbying Team

Bill Shuster and the House Transportation Committee Connection

The most prominent name on this filing is Bill Shuster, a former Republican congressman from Pennsylvania's 9th District who served as Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. That's the committee with direct jurisdiction over the FAA and air traffic control. Shuster left Congress in 2019 and has been lobbying for NATCA through Squire Patton Boggs across multiple filings.

Alongside him is Rebekah Sungala, who served for more than six years across four Congresses in Shuster's personal congressional office and on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee as a shared staff member. The pair represent a direct line into the committee that oversees the FAA.

Austin Harrison rounds out the team. He interned in the office of Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) during the 113th Congress and holds a Master's in Public Service from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service. Harrison appears on this filing for the first time.

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The Agenda

The first quarter of 2026 Squire Patton Boggs filing does not list specific issues lobbied or cite any legislation. However, congressional lobbying records from NATCA's broader lobbying operation over the past year reveal a detailed and consistent agenda.

NATCA's in-house filings and other external registrants have lobbied on:

  • ATC staffing, hiring, and training — including the Air Traffic Control Workforce Development Act of 2025 (S. 697 / H.R. 3270)
  • FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 implementation and funding stability
  • FY2026 Transportation/HUD Appropriations and the impact of continuing resolutions on the FAA workforce
  • Controller fatigue, scheduling, and mandatory retirement age
  • Mental health support for controllers, including the Mental Health in Aviation Act of 2025
  • Federal employee retirement and benefits, including FERS supplemental retirement and Windfall Elimination Provision reform
  • ATC technology modernization and the Facilities and Equipment account
  • Shared airspace operations involving drones and UAS, including the Safe Operations of Shared Airspace Act of 2025
  • Collective bargaining rights, whistleblower protections, and prohibited personnel practices

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Broader Context

Congress is under pressure on aviation safety. The environment in which NATCA is lobbying has shifted considerably. The NTSB released findings on January 28, 2026 from its investigation of the Reagan National collision, issuing 74 findings and 50 recommendations. The Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing reviewing those recommendations in February 2026, and grieving families pressed Congress for legislative action.

Then, on March 22, 2026, a Jazz Aviation regional jet struck a firefighting vehicle at LaGuardia Airport that had received ATC clearance to cross an active runway. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy publicly called on Congress for additional funding to modernize air traffic control tower technology.

Congressional hearings during the lookback period have repeatedly surfaced the staffing crisis. In one hearing on FAA Reauthorization implementation, a member noted that Austin-Bergstrom International Airport had only 33 certified controllers against an FAA recommendation of 60 — a 55 percent staffing rate. In a hearing on the nomination of FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford, members pressed the nominee directly on maximum hiring mandates included in the FAA reauthorization.

A GAO report found the FAA's workforce plan was falling short by approximately 400 controllers, with training delays compounding the shortfall. Congress did include a 3.8 percent pay raise for air traffic controllers in the FY2026 spending bill, retroactive to January 2026.

A government shutdown in October and November 2025 added another layer of urgency. NATCA became a prominent voice calling for a clean continuing resolution, with members from both parties amplifying the union's message. Sen. Dick Durbin, Sen. John Fetterman, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, and Rep. Burgess Owens all publicly backed NATCA's position — a rare display of bipartisan alignment.

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Competitive Landscape

NATCA is not alone in lobbying on aviation issues. Airlines for America also retained Squire Patton Boggs during the same period, filing a $60,000 in the fourth quarter 2025 disclosure. Rep. Greg Stanton's press release backing the Air Traffic Controller Workforce Development Act of 2025 listed NATCA alongside the Air Traffic Control Association and Airlines for America as supporters — suggesting the union is operating in coalition with industry on at least some workforce issues.

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The Bottom Line

NATCA is running a multi-front lobbying operation at a moment when air traffic control has moved from a niche policy issue to a front-page concern. The union's decision to retain a team anchored by a former House Transportation Committee chairman reflects the seriousness with which it is approaching the current legislative environment. Whether the first quarter 2026 Squire Patton Boggs filing produced specific legislative outcomes remains unclear — the issues field was left blank. But the broader lobbying record suggests a sustained, well-resourced effort on workforce, safety, and funding issues that are unlikely to leave the congressional agenda anytime soon.

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