The U.S. Senate failed in a last-minute bid on Tuesday to end a partial shutdown of federal aviation programs that has halted airport construction projects and thrown tens of thousands of people out of work.

Senators scrambled to find common ground with the House of Representatives on a bill to temporarily fund the Federal Aviation Administration but neither side would budge before adjourning until September.

Acrimonious disagreement over proposed cuts to rural air service and underlying discord over a labour issue was reminiscent of the gridlock surrounding a just-completed 11th-hour deal to raise the U.S. government’s debt ceiling.

“I am deeply disappointed that bipartisanship has failed us here,” said New Hampshire Senator Jean Shaheen, adding a runway project in her state will likely be delayed until the spring.

While the scale of disruption from an FAA shutdown paled in comparison to the global repercussions of a potential U.S. debt default, the aviation fallout was not trivial and may carry political consequences if not resolved soon. . .