Congress is once again racing toward a funding deadline that has already caused chaos at American airports twice this year, and there is no clear sign this time will end differently.
Federal government funding is due to expire on September 30. As of mid-September, lawmakers had not passed a full set of FY2026 appropriations bills, and congressional trackers described a shutdown as increasingly likely. If it happens, it would be the third funding lapse of the fiscal year, following a record 43-day shutdown last October and November and a separate Department of Homeland Security shutdown in February.
What Actually Happens at the Airport During a Shutdown
Air traffic controllers and TSA officers are both classified as essential workers, meaning they are required to keep showing up during a shutdown, but they do not get paid until it ends. Early on, most travelers notice nothing at all. The trouble builds the longer it drags on.
During the shutdown that ran from October through mid-November last year, unscheduled staff call-outs at TSA checkpoints more than doubled nationwide, climbing from around 2 percent to an average of 6 percent. At some individual airports it was far worse. Houston Hobby saw call-out rates near 50 percent. JFK hit 76 percent during a blizzard. Newark reached 53 percent. More than 300 TSA officers quit the agency altogether during that period, and the FAA was forced to instruct airlines to reduce domestic flight schedules because there were not enough controllers available to safely manage traffic.
The February shutdown, which affected only the Department of Homeland Security, brought a different kind of disruption. TSA PreCheck was initially at risk of suspension before the agency reversed course, but Global Entry was suspended for enrolled travelers, pushing them back into standard screening lines and adding to wait times industry-wide.
Why This Time Could Be Worse for Fall Travel
A shutdown beginning October 1 would land directly during the peak of fall travel season, a period when airports are already operating close to capacity thanks to holiday and leaf-peeping demand. Unlike a shutdown that begins in a quieter travel month, this timing gives the system far less slack to absorb rising call-out rates or slower checkpoint processing.
The U.S. Travel Association has warned that a prolonged shutdown compounds over time. Early days pass largely unnoticed. It is the third and fourth week, once workers have missed a full paycheck, when absenteeism climbs and lines lengthen noticeably.
How to Protect a Trip If This Happens Again
Build extra buffer time into airport arrivals, particularly for flights departing after the first week of any shutdown, when staffing pressure tends to intensify.
Apply for or renew TSA PreCheck well before a shutdown begins, since it has historically remained protected even when Global Entry has been suspended.
Avoid scheduling tight connections through major hubs during the first month of a shutdown, since staffing-related delays tend to cluster at the largest, busiest airports first.
Monitor flight status directly through the airline rather than relying on printed information, since schedule reductions during a shutdown can be announced with very little notice.
This article draws on reporting and analysis from the Federation of American Scientists and prior shutdown coverage from FlightQueue.
Amanda O’Brien is the creator and editor of The Boutique Adventurer. She has visited 80 countries and is a member of the British Guild of Travel Writers as well as the IFTWTA. She is passionate about wine had has just completed Level 3 of the WSET. Born in Australia, she lives in London.