Travel Industry Sidesteps Shutdown Disruption as Spending Bill is Signed

Travelers and travel advisors can breathe a little easier this morning after President Trump signed a spending package yesterday, ending a partial government shutdown that was just a few days old.

With the news, most federal agencies—including those most critical to travel, such as the DOT, FAA, and TSA—are now funded through Sept. 30. (The Department of Homeland Security remains the only agency not included in this package.) The signing thwarts immediate worries about another shutdown disrupting travel, coming less than six months after the previous closure forced the FAA to slash hundreds of flights at the country’s busiest airports.

The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) warned members last week that an ongoing partial shutdown could impact air travel, though expectations remained that this disruption would be shorter and have a significantly smaller impact than the last.

And, while the shutdown was on the industry’s radar, this past weekend’s actual flight disruptions were largely driven by the elements. Winter Storm Gianna, which intensified into a bomb cyclone off the Southeast coast, forced airlines to cancel more than 4,500 flights between Saturday and Sunday. Hardest hit were major hubs like Charlotte Douglas (CLT) and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta (ATL), where snow and record-low temperatures—not staffing shortages—triggered the majority of the delays.

Government shutdowns do not necessarily mean that federal workers, including air traffic controllers and TSA officers, stop working. Because they are considered essential personnel, they are required to work without pay and are subsequently back-paid once the government reopens. This was the case during the 43-day shutdown in late 2025.

The primary danger of a prolonged shutdown is the strain on the workforce; as seen last year, workers may call out or opt for gig work, such as driving for Uber, to maintain cash flow. Such absences place immense pressure on an air traffic system that is already stretched thin, even when the government is fully funded.