Congress has until midnight on Dec. 20 to come up with a way to fund the government or federal agencies will shut down, meaning hundreds of thousands of federal employees could be sent home — or stay on the job without pay — just ahead of the holidays.
Shutdowns happen when Congress doesn’t approve funding legislation, which prevents the government from spending the money it needs to remain open. If Congress enacts some, but not all, of the 12 annual appropriations bills, this is known as a partial government shutdown.
Record travel is expected this holiday season. AAA predicts that more than 119 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home between Saturday, Dec. 21 and New Year’s Day, which would top the previous holiday-season high set in 2019.
Airlines for America says it expects U.S. airlines to carry 54 million passengers during a 19-day period that started on Dec. 19 and ends Monday, Jan. 6. The number would represent a 6% increase over last year.
Recent search trends show many people online are wondering how holiday air travel would be affected if the government shuts down.
THE QUESTION
Will airports remain open during a government shutdown?
THE SOURCES
- Congressional Research Service
- Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget
- Bipartisan Policy Center
- Transportation Security Administration
THE ANSWER
Yes, airports will remain open during a government shutdown.
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WHAT WE FOUND
Airports will remain open if the government shuts down. The partial shutdown would likely be too close to the holidays to immediately affect flights and airport operations, but that might change if the shutdown is extended.
During a partial government shutdown, air travel managed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and airport security managed by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), will continue to operate but at lower levels of service, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. That’s because only some FAA and TSA employees are exempt from furlough and are required to continue working if the government shuts down.
The more than 14,000 air traffic controllers and most of the 60,000 TSA workers, who still have to report to work, are not paid during a shutdown. But they will eventually receive back pay.
This holiday season, the TSA says it expects to screen nearly 40 million people at airports nationwide between Dec. 19 and Jan. 2, a 6.2% increase from last year.
“While our personnel are prepared to handle high volumes of travelers and ensure safe travel, please be aware that an extended shutdown could mean longer wait times at airports,” said David Pekoske, the head of TSA.
During the last government shutdown, which lasted 35 days from December 2018 to January 2019, travelers faced longer lines because some air traffic controllers and TSA agents didn’t report to work, according to the Committee for a Responsible Budget. Many security checkpoints were also closed.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.