The longest government shutdown in history ended on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, spanning a total of 43 days (CBS), leaving 1.4 million workers without pay for the duration of the shutdown (NPR).
The government shutdown was detrimental to many areas of work, including air travel. TSA, CBP and Air Traffic Control workers were working without pay, and flights across the country were cancelled.
Fedrecia Whitney (she/her), a lead transportation security officer for TSA at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport, was furloughed but was required to work during the government shutdown, unpaid.
“For the most part, everyone is still showing up; however, there are some that can’t because they are single-parent households, one-income households or both parents work for the government and aren’t getting paid,” Whitney said.
The lack of pay can cast a shadow over the working environment in such a stressful and uncertain time.
“Morale has been very low because people are worried about paying their bills or what they are going to eat, so some have resorted to other avenues of income,” Whitney said.
TSA workers were left in the dark during the government shutdown, with few resources to get them through the 43 days.
“I would like to tell people to be nicer to those government employees, because at the end of the day, they’re going through a lot, and just because you have the ability to be mean doesn’t mean you should. You never know what somebody’s going through in life,” Whitney said.
In addition, flights were reduced during the government shutdown and efficiency was slowed immensely. According to the New York Times, 406 airports across the nation were affected, and over 4.6 million passengers have been impacted (AP News).
Overall, the government shutdown influenced air travel and its employees, placing stress on millions. Even though the shutdown is over, air travel is still feeling its effects, raising many concerns for the upcoming holidays, specifically Thanksgiving.
The amount of cancellations and delays has negatively impacted airports across the nation, with cancellation rates still in place after the shutdown. However, on Nov. 16, 2025, the Federal Aviation Administration announced it would be lifting the flight reductions gradually on Nov. 17 (ABC 13 News).
