U.S. airlines and aviation groups are warning Congress that a government shutdown at midnight would disrupt air travel, jeopardize safety and stall efforts to modernize the nation’s air traffic control system.

The warning came in a letter from the Modern Skies Coalition — which includes Airlines for America, the trade group for United, Delta, American, Southwest and other carriers — along with airports, pilots, controllers and manufacturers. The coalition said a shutdown would force the FAA to suspend hiring and training, delay safety initiatives and create costly backlogs across the aviation system.

"Government shutdowns harm the U.S. economy and degrade the redundancies and margins of safety that our National Airspace System (NAS) is built upon," the group wrote. "In fact, short-term

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