Airport Staffing Challenges and National Park Closures—The Impact of a Government Shutdown on Your Travels

“This is serious for air travel,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told Dinogo during a Zoom call on Thursday, just two days before the September 30 deadline for Congress to finalize a new budget to avert a government shutdown. “Even a brief shutdown would significantly set us back, with effects lingering into next year.”

If no agreement is reached, a government shutdown is expected to commence on October 1, impacting various aspects of travel, including airports, air travel operations, national parks, and museums.

Buttigieg warns that the impending government shutdown poses a significant threat, particularly since air travel could face a “double blow” from both the shutdown and Congress's failure to reauthorize the FAA [Federal Aviation Administration]. The FAA’s five-year authorization is also due to expire at the end of September, and if reauthorization isn’t achieved, “we would forfeit approximately 50 million dollars a day in system upgrades nationwide,” Buttigieg stated.

The Transportation Secretary emphasizes that this potential “double blow” could not come at a worse moment, as the U.S. air travel system is just beginning to recover from significant disruptions caused by the pandemic and its aftermath. For instance, the rate of canceled flights has finally dropped below pre-pandemic levels.

“This situation is chaotic and entirely preventable for the air traffic and aviation system to manage, especially after all we've endured,” Buttigieg states, noting that while “significant progress has been made,” much work remains, and a shutdown or failure to reauthorize the FAA would “upend all of that.”

Here’s how a government shutdown will impact various travel-related sectors.

What impact will the government shutdown have on TSA and air travel?

Not all federally supported systems come to a standstill during a government shutdown—flights will continue. This is because certain federal employees are classified as essential and must keep working. At airports, this includes TSA agents, air traffic controllers, and customs officials who report to the government. During shutdowns, these employees are expected to work without receiving their usual pay (historically, they've been compensated for their hours once the shutdown concludes). However, as the shutdown extends, it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain the presence of these essential workers.

“We’re talking about thousands of TSA officers who will not be receiving their pay. They will fulfill their duties, but asking them to do so day after day without compensation will increasingly take a toll. Each day that passes raises the likelihood of significant disruptions in the system. If this begins on Sunday, I anticipate that by the end of the week, we will face a genuine risk of chaotic disruptions in several areas across the U.S.,” Buttigieg warns.

During the 2019 shutdown, which lasted five weeks, hundreds of TSA screeners chose not to report for work (some called in sick, while others sought jobs that paid promptly), leading to slower operations and longer security lines at airports. As the shutdown progressed, some airports were compelled to close certain security checkpoints.

Therefore, if you plan to travel by air during a shutdown, it’s wise to arrive at the airport earlier than usual to account for potential backlogs.

The 2019 shutdown also intensified the already stressful environment for air traffic controllers. Paul Rinaldi, then president of the Air Traffic Controllers Association, told CNN that “the most significant burden I face right now is the human cost, the fatigue in my work environment, where I'm noticing routine errors as they ponder which credit cards they can consolidate for zero interest?”

When just 10 air traffic controllers called out sick, it temporarily halted travel at New York’s LaGuardia Airport and caused delays at other major airports (some reports credited them with ultimately ending the shutdown). This is due to the highly specialized nature of their role, making them difficult to replace.

Buttigieg states, “Consider the intensity and stress of their job even on a regular day. The last thing we want is to ask them to come in and perform that role, which they will, being the professionals they are, but to do so while worrying about when their families will receive a paycheck is utterly unacceptable for a nation like the United States of America.”

A more long-term concern is that a shutdown would halt the training of new air traffic controllers—currently, there is a shortage of 3,000 controllers, a challenge worsened by the pandemic and one that will take years to resolve. Buttigieg also fears that the shutdown could hinder progress on upgrading the country’s outdated air travel technology—systems that have caused serious operational failures over the past year.

Regarding U.S. passport processing, the State Department’s contingency plan states that consular services will still be available both domestically and internationally, and passport and visa processing should continue. However, Buttigieg warns there may be some disruptions.

For example, some passport processing centers will be open while others will not. “It’s quite confusing,” he notes. “There’s no way to avoid some level of impact during a federal government shutdown, especially when some locations may be unavailable for making your [passport] appointments.”

TSA PreCheck enrollment centers are expected to function normally since this program is funded by fees rather than federal appropriations.

In the event of a government shutdown, national parks will be closed.

The U.S. Department of the Interior declared on Friday that most sites managed by the National Park Service (NPS) will shut down if the government closes.

According to a fact sheet provided to Dinogo, the Department of Interior stated, "Most national parks will be completely off-limits to the public. Gates will be locked, visitor centers will be shut down, and thousands of park rangers will be placed on furlough."

The National Park Service employs around 20,000 permanent, temporary, and seasonal staff and encompasses 425 distinct units that cover over 85 million acres. NPS sites include national parks, national monuments, historic sites, and recreational areas, among others.

Parks that aim to remain open can seek alternative funding from state, local, or Tribal governments, as well as from organizations or donations—though these funds will not be reimbursed by the federal government. Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs announced that Grand Canyon National Park would continue operating by utilizing funds from the Arizona Lottery. Similarly, lawmakers in Utah are developing a plan to keep its five national parks accessible.

During the 2013 shutdown, which lasted 16 days, all parks were closed to prevent damage—a decision that faced significant backlash.

In contrast, during the 2018–2019 shutdown, some parks closed while others stayed open with minimal staff primarily for law enforcement purposes, rather than serving as park rangers. Although these protected areas remained accessible, there were no staff at the gates to collect fees or check passes, manage information centers, or maintain cleanliness—resulting in neglect of these special outdoor spaces. Trash cans overflowed with waste, human waste accumulated around locked restrooms, posing health risks, and tragically, one person died in the parks.

Following over a month of not collecting visitor fees, the National Park Service reported a loss of $500 million in revenue during the 2019 shutdown (excluding the costs incurred for cleanup). This revenue typically supports repairs, maintenance, facility improvements, visitor safety, accessibility, services, and habitat restoration, according to the National Park Service.

This time, the Interior Department indicated that areas of national parks that cannot be physically closed, such as certain roads, viewpoints, trails, campgrounds, and memorials, will remain open to the public. However, the agency cautioned that staffing levels and services—including restroom and sanitation upkeep, trash collection, road maintenance, campground management, and emergency operations—will be inconsistent and are not guaranteed.

The agency has urged the public to avoid visiting even these open public lands during a potential shutdown, “to protect natural and cultural resources, as well as ensure visitor safety.”

“During the last shutdown [in 2018–2019], when parks operated with minimal staff, we witnessed Joshua trees being cut down, vandalism of park buildings, damage to ancient petroglyphs, trash accumulation, and overflowing human waste. This put visitor safety at risk across the country. We cannot let history repeat itself,” remarked Theresa Pierno, president and CEO of the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to preserving the nation's national parks.

The effects could also be felt by museums.

Museums and zoos that are owned at the local, state, or private level would remain open during a shutdown. However, federally funded institutions, such as the Smithsonian Institution (which oversees 21 museums, including the National Museum of Natural History and the National Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C.), may need to close depending on the duration of the shutdown.

During the 2019 shutdown, the Smithsonian Institution managed to keep its facilities open and staffed for 11 days using funds from the previous fiscal year. After that, all operations ceased, and employees were furloughed for 27 days.

There is still a bit of time for Congress to negotiate a deal and potentially render the above concerns irrelevant.