What a government shutdown could have meant for holiday air travel
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Holiday travelers fretting over how a government shutdown would affect their flights can breathe easy — now that both chambers of Congress have approved a temporary stopgap avoiding the prospect.
The big picture: An estimated 40 million people are expected to fly during one of the busiest travel periods of the year, and TSA agents and air traffic controllers will continue to work.
- A TSA spokesperson told Axios "While our personnel have prepared to handle high volumes of travelers and ensure safe travel," a lengthy shutdown could have meant longer wait times at airports.
State of play: The clock was ticking toward a government shutdown at 12:01 am Saturday, but about 30 minutes later the Senate followed the GOP-controlled House in defying President-elect Trump and nixing a plan to fund the federal government that Trump favored.
- A shutdown could have cost the U.S. travel economy $1 billion per week, impacting millions of travelers, businesses and federal workers nationwide, according to the U.S. Travel Association.
Zoom in: Non-essential federal employees also would have stopped working.
- Air traffic controllers — already facing a nationwide shortage — and TSA employees at airport checkpoints are considered essential employees and would have been asked to work without pay.
By the numbers: 59,000 of the TSA's 62,000 employees are considered essential and would have continued working without pay in the event of a shutdown, the agency told Axios.
- However, during a five-week partial government shutdown over the holidays from 2018 to 2019, hundreds of TSA agents called out sick from work.
Between the lines: 60% of Americans would have considered altering their travel plans if a shutdown occurred, with many choosing to cancel or avoid flights altogether, an Ipsos survey found.
What they're saying: Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, said in a statement before Congress approved the spending that "a prolonged government shutdown threatens holiday travel disruptions that Americans won't tolerate."
- He called lawmakers' passage of the spending resolution "the right decision" on Saturday and said the bill "provides both certainty for critical federal travel operations and disaster relief for hurricane-devastated communities across the southeast."
- "Let's hope that how we got here isn't a precursor for all of the important decisions ahead," Freeman added.
More from Axios:
- Record holiday travel expected to end a busy year
- Trump opposes Johnson's spending deal to avert government shutdown
- Why food recalls are mounting this year
Editor's note: This story has been updated with the latest congressional actions and an updated statement from the U.S. Travel Association.
