WASHINGTON, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Major U.S. airlines on Thursday urged Congress to pay air traffic controllers in the event of a partial government shutdown after the industry suffered a major disruption during a 43-day standoff last fall.

The U.S. government could again face a partial shutdown as soon as Saturday over an ongoing dispute over the Homeland Security Department. Airlines for America, which represents American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and other major carriers, said "Congress needs to understand the real-world consequences that impact the American public if planes cannot fly due to a shutdown. As we saw three months ago, shutdowns place significant strain on the entire aviation industry, impacting travelers, shippers and the federal employees who keep our aviation system safe."

(Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington, Editing by Franklin Paul)

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