At a news conference held yesterday at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l joined members of Congress and travel association representatives in calling for federal lawmakers to ensure that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are not forced to make hundreds of millions of dollars in across-the-board budget cuts because of the so-called sequester, which could go into effect on March 1.

“The impact of sequestration cannot be underestimated because at the very time many of our passengers are contemplating their next business trip or family vacation, our pilots are looking at a future in which they will have no other choice than to leave those passengers stranded at the gate,” said Capt. Sean Cassidy, ALPA’s first vice president, at the news conference, which included Rep. James Moran (D-Va.), Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.).

ALPA warned that the possibility of mandatory across-the-board budget cuts raises the specter of thousands of eliminated, canceled, or delayed flights; reduced passenger service at security and customs checkpoints; air traffic control facility closings; and furloughs, reduced hours, or job eliminations for tens of thousands of U.S. airline industry workers.

“Congress must make certain that the U.S. airline industry continues to fuel our nation’s economy, provide jobs for tens of thousands of hard working Americans, and deliver the service that passengers and cargo shippers expect and deserve from the U.S. air transportation system,” said Cassidy following the news conference. “This nation’s lawmakers must act immediately and end the sequester threat.”

Watch the video clip and view the photo slideshow from the news conference.

Read ALPA’s news release.

Read more on sequestration.