Airports Run Smoothly—For Now—Despite U.S. Government Shutdown Chaos

Travelers See Minimal Disruptions as Shutdown Begins

Despite the U.S. federal government shutting down at midnight on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, major airports across the country reported few delays or cancellations in early operations. Air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) staff—deemed “essential”—are working without pay, keeping skies open and security lines moving.

Real-Time Airport Wait Times (as of 9:15 a.m. ET)

Airport	Max TSA Wait Time
New York (JFK, LGA, EWR)	19 minutes
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta	15 minutes
O’Hare (Chicago)	15 minutes
Denver, LAX, Houston, D.C. Reagan	Typical Wednesday levels

Why Airports Are Still Functioning—For Now

Air traffic controllers and TSA agents are required to work during shutdowns.
Unions have warned staff that skipping work could result in termination.
Flight tracking services like FlightAware and FlightRadar24 report minimal disruptions.

But the Clock Is Ticking

History shows that prolonged shutdowns lead to staff fatigue and absenteeism. During the 34-day 2018–2019 shutdown, TSA agents called in sick en masse, causing security lines to back up and checkpoints to close.

What’s Already Shut Down?

While air travel remains stable, other critical services are frozen:

CDC public health communications
Veterans’ transition assistance
Superfund site cleanups
New education grants
Justice Department civil litigation

Federal Workforce Impact

Nearly 300,000 federal employees have already left government service in 2025 due to Trump administration cuts—meaning remaining staff are stretched thin even before the shutdown.