Aviation and the federal shutdown: Don’t vote, it only encourages them
The federal shutdown is aggravating for anyone that wants to close an aircraft deal, but it could soon harm the economy, which is a lot more worrying.
As a Briton, I am not going to tell Americans how to solve the government shutdown or the debt ceiling. You chose to go your own way in 1776 and need to live with the consequences of that decision now.
But this recovery is becoming increasingly frustrating. Just when it look like things are getting better, something seems to pop up and slow it down again.
The problem of the government shutdown is particularly annoying as it could have been avoided. No one minds when the FAA is forced to close through bad weather, but it you are unable to register an aircraft because politicians cannot reach a compromise, it is easy to find someone to blame. It is just as frustrating for manufacturers that want Ex-Im support.
Some Oklahoma registration specialists say you can file just by depositing into the FAA’s mailbox (and if you have an accelerated depreciation deadline looming, this may be all you can do). But it is worrying to think of the piles of paper gathering in government offices. Although we are lucky that this did not happen at the end of a quarter; it looks set to be a busy run in to the end of the year as agencies struggle to catch up.
But while the shutdown is aggravating for anyone who wants to close a deal, if it drags on it could hurt the economy, which is more worrying. And who knows what could happen if the debt ceiling is not raised?
Subscribe to our free newsletter
For more opinions from Corporate Jet Investor, subscribe to our One Minute Week newsletter.