The partial government shutdown is causing disruptions at airports, primarily due to unpaid TSA workers and potential staffing shortages. While flight safety remains unaffected, travelers can expect longer lines and delays. The shutdown has also put a pay raise for air traffic controllers on hold.
by EMMA WITHROW AND MORGAN STEPHENS | Fact Check TeamHOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 19: Travelers wait in line at Terminal E at George Bush International Airport on March 19, 2026 in Houston, Texas. Airports across the country continue to experience long lines during the federal shutdown affecting TSA .
The partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security is disrupting airport operations, but not aviation safety, at least for now. TSA workers, who fall under Homeland Security, are working without pay. Air traffic controllers are not affected in the same way because they’re part of the Federal Aviation Administration under the Department of Transportation, which remains funded, according to the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, a nearly 4% pay raise for air traffic controllers is now on hold because it was tied to the DHS portion of the funding package. For travelers, the biggest impact is at security checkpoints. Past shutdowns show TSA call-outs increase when workers aren’t paid, leading to longer lines and delays. As for safety, there’s no evidence that a government shutdown has ever caused a plane crash.shutdown, staffing shortages led to a temporary ground stop at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, not due to a failure, but because there weren’t enough controllers to manage traffic safely, according to Government Executive and theBottom line: flights are still safe, but the longer a shutdown lasts, the more pressure builds on the system, especially for travelers on the ground.A jury declined to indict a father who allegedly fatally shot his daughter in the chest following an argument about President Donald Trump.Family and friends are mourning a Reynoldsburg man they say was killed in a hit-and-run last week after he was struck several times while crossing East Main S'I love you. I feel kinda weird. I don’t know what to expect tomorrow. You’ve never done anything like this for me before.'Columbus police have released a photo of a suspect accused in an armed robbery.Few details were immediately available, but a CPD statement indicated that the pe
Government Shutdown TSA Airports Travel Delays Aviation Safety
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