Flying during a shutdown? How FAA and TSA operations could change.
TSA has previously warned that an extended shutdown could mean longer wait times for the roughly 2.5 million daily passengers.
Lawmakers have until end of day Friday to keep government fully open
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- Essential FAA and TSA employees continue to work during a government shutdown, but without pay.
- A prolonged shutdown could lead to longer security lines and potential flight schedule reductions.
- During the 2025 shutdown, the DOT ordered airlines to reduce flights by up to 10% to ease the strain on air traffic control.
Just months after Congress averted the last shutdown, lawmakers hit another wall at midnight on Jan. 31 after failing to pass the full slate of funding bills by the Jan. 30 deadline.
On Friday, the Senate approved a continuing resolution to keep Department of Homeland Security funded for two more weeks while the rest of the government gets full-year funding, but that deal now waits in the House, which is in recess and won’t vote until Monday at the earliest. If the House rejects the plan or delays action, the shutdown could stretch beyond the weekend, though most appropriators still expect a relatively short closure given the bipartisan momentum before the deadline.
During the last government shutdown, which lasted 43 days, making it the longest in U.S. history, airlines were ordered to reduce their flight schedules by up to 10% at 40 major airports.
That extraordinary measure was taken after air traffic controllers were working without pay for over a month, leading to strain on the air traffic system. Many air traffic controllers and other essential employees needed to find a way to bridge the financial gap after missing multiple paychecks.
Some travelers may already be noticing a high number of flight disruptions on Saturday, Jan. 31, but that’s unrelated to the potential shutdown. Airlines preemptively canceled flights ahead of Winter Storm Gianna, which is predicted to pound the East Coast with heavy snow and damaging winds over weekend.
Here’s why your air travel plans aren’t likely to be affected immediately during this government shuts down.
Are flights affected by a government shutdown?
No, or at least not right away.
FAA and TSA employees who perform essential functions related to flight safety continue working during a shutdown. Still, the longer a shutdown lasts, the more likely they are to have to miss work.
During the 2025 shutdown, the Department of Transportation ordered airlines to reduce their flight schedules by up to 10%, helping ease the workload on overtaxed and understaffed air traffic control towers, which led to days of headaches for travelers.
It’s not yet clear when, how, or whether flights will be affected by the latest shutdown. USA TODAY reached out to the Department of Transportation to ask about plans in the event of a shutdown.
Does TSA still operate during a shutdown?
Yes, TSA workers who perform tasks such as screening at airport security checkpoints are considered essential and will keep working during a shutdown. But if the shutdown is prolonged for an extended period, you may encounter longer lines and wait times.
“While TSA is prepared to continue screening about 2.5M passengers a day, an extended shutdown could mean longer wait times at airports,” the agency said in a post on X last year. “We kindly ask for our passengers’ patience during this time.”
Contributing: Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY
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