WASHINGTON, Aug 18 (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 ( AAL ), Delta Air Lines ( DAL ), United Airlines

, FedEx ( FDX ), and Southwest Airlines ( LUV ) 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 ( AAL ) 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 ( MA ), 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.