a US government closure If lasted long enough, you can throw a wrench into your travel plans, which can lead to airport waiting times, flight delays and even cancellations.
The closure began on Wednesday after President Donald Trump and Congress Could not reach the transaction Continue to fund government services and operations. That means the majority of our airports and air travelers work unpaid until the government opens again.
“The longer the shutdown, the more likely we will see unnecessary delays in TSA lines, flight delays and cancellations, devastated national parks and modernized travel infrastructure.”
Here’s what you need to know about the shutdown and its potential impact on your trip planning:
The American flag at the Capitol is illuminated by early morning lights on the first day of the government closure held in Washington on Wednesday, October 1, 2025 (AP Photo/J. ScottApplewhite)
Flying during shutdown
Travelers may still fly early in the closure despite the expiration of funds, but they may not notice any issues at the airport.
The control tower and airport security checkpoints still have staff, with approximately 13,200 air traffic controllers and more than 61,000 transportation security management employees expected to continue their work.
But as workers’ time has passed since their last pay, travelers have been able to start looking at longer routes with security and flight interruptions, said Jeffrey Price, an aviation professor at Metropolitan State University in Denver.
“The system becomes a little bit fragile and the longer this is, the more travelers will notice it,” Price said.
That’s what happened in 2018 and 2019 when Trump led the country. The longest shutdown ever 35 days during his first term.
About three weeks after that shutdown, some unpaid security screeners began calling sick, and air traffic controllers sued the government to get their pay. Miami International Airport had to Close temporarily One of the terminals as TSA officials were calling for illness at twice the normal airport rate.
The latest closures are unfolding as both the TSA and the Federal Aviation Administration are already facing personnel shortages, including a shortage of around 3,000 air traffic controllers.
If the system cannot handle the number of scheduled flights, the FAA will slow down the landing, take off, and passengers will see more delays and cancellations. The agency has been going recently when there wasn’t enough controller to handle all flights coming and going to Newark Airport after technical issues.
Traveler Safety and Security
Union president Nick Daniels, who represents air traffic controllers, said the shutdown would undermine the aviation safety system by stressing the controllers, helping them and taking away many workers who maintain the outdated system they rely on.
“They are currently working in critical staffing. They have the lowest staffing experience of just 10,800 people in decades where there should be 14,633. Plus, they use unreliable equipment,” Daniels said.
Controllers for the busiest US Air Transportation Facility during 35-day closures during Trump’s first term It has been reported I work 60 hours a week and with the number of TSA agents increasing, I quit my job.
“This is not an inconvenience for travelers,” Price said of the closure. “This will definitely raise safety and security issues if they actually start moving forward in the long term.”
International trip to the US
The country’s ports of entry are expected to remain open for international travelers, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Emergency response plan.
The department estimated that around 63,000 workers on Customs and Border Protection would still report jobs. It includes employees who protect the country’s borders and monitor traffic coming to the United States at official border intersections, such as airports and land intersections from Canada and Mexico.
Passport and visa
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agencies responsible for overseeing the naturalization process, are funded primarily by application fees. In other words, lapses in federal funding have minimal impact on most passports and visa processing.
However, agent spokesman Matthew Tragesser said in a statement that the shutdown is temporarily shuttering the agency’s e-verify program, a free online system that employers can use to ensure new employees are allowed to work in the United States.
On Wednesday, October 1, 2025, we will be visiting Zion National Park near Springdale, Utah. (AP Photo/John Rochell)
Museums and National Parks
The Smithsonian Museum, Research Centre and National Zoo were scheduled to be open to the public on at least October 6th. Smithsonian’s website.
The Smithsonian is the world’s largest museum complex, with 17 museums and its zoos in the Washington, DC area and two museums in New York City.
National Parks do that It’s almost left open Shutdown.
National Park Bureau Emergency response plan Park roads, lookouts, trails and outdoor monuments say they will “remain generally accessible to visitors.” However, parks without “accessible areas” will be closed and additional sites may shutter if damage occurs when resources and trash accumulate during shutdown.
Park Services oversees 400 sites, including large national parks such as Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon, national battlefields and national monuments such as the Statue of Liberty.
___
Associated Press Transportation Reporter Josh Funk contributed from Omaha, Nebraska.
