As the government shutdown continues while lawmakers in Congress butt heads over spending bills, concerns are growing about potential travel delays due to a lapse in federal funding. With fall break coming up this week, some USC students are concerned about how their travel plans may be impacted.
According to USA Today, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic controllers are considered essential employees who have to work without pay during the shutdown. These employees are promised back pay once federal government funding is restored.
Starting at 4:15 p.m. on Monday, the FAA anticipates that Burbank Airport will not have any air traffic controllers. The FAA is attempting to bring in additional staffing before 10 p.m., according to KABC.
If this shutdown is prolonged, Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, a nonprofit group, warned in a letter to Congressional leaders that it will “exacerbate staffing shortages among [TSA] officers and air traffic controllers, threaten longer airport security lines, flight delays, and cancellations.”
As USC students prepare to fly this week, some are anxious about potential challenges they may encounter.
“I’m worried that there may be complications with my visa flying back to LA, but I think it will be fine and that there will just be delays,” said Olivia Keenan, a junior international student studying business of cinematic arts. Keenan is flying to Miami for fall break to celebrate her sister’s birthday. “I plan to arrive to the airport 3 hours early before my flight boards, [and I] expect delays, especially because I don’t have TSA pre-check.”
Tehya Romero, a sophomore studying international relations and global economy, has TSA pre-check, but also plans to arrive at the airport early.
“I do expect to experience delays and/or longer wait times at TSA,” Romero said.
Romero is flying standby to San Francisco, but she is optimistic that she will “make it through TSA promptly and not experience too much delay.”
On X, TSA warned travelers that “While [we] are prepared to continue to screen about 2.5 million passengers a day, an extended shutdown could mean longer wait times at airports. We kindly ask for our passengers’ patience during this time.”
Shanell Zou, a junior studying human biology who is flying to Sacramento, says she won’t be surprised if she encounters delays, especially because she has experienced long delays at Los Angeles International Airport before.
“I’m scared about the long lines, and I’m also wondering what the TSA pre-check line will be like,” Zou said.
On Monday, during a press conference at Newark Airport, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy noted that there is a “slight uptick” in air traffic controllers calling out, though he is not concerned yet. Duffy also expressed concerns regarding air traffic controllers’ ability to focus on their jobs, referencing the employees’ current lack of pay.
As of right now, air traffic controllers will receive a partial paycheck on Oct. 14 and a zero paycheck on Oct. 28, according to Forbes.
The most recent government shutdown, which lasted for thirty-five days and was the longest one in history, according to NPR, ended in part due to the actions of air traffic controllers. In January 2019, widespread delays ensued after a large number of air traffic controllers called out sick. This put pressure on Donald Trump to agree to the temporary spending bill that reopened the government.
As of Monday, the Senate has rejected the Democrats’ spending bill for the fifth time, as negotiations are ongoing.