As the federal government shutdown approaches one week in, several highly trafficked airports in California reported no immediate impacts to their travel or operations.
The San Diego International Airport is continuing to “operate normally,” spokesperson Nicole Hall told the Desert Sun in an email on Oct. 3 when asked whether travelers faced any delays or if the airport anticipates any future impacts. It echoes the airport’s previous experience in the government shutdown in December 2018 through January 2019 — no impact.
Federal aviation personnel continued to work to support travelers then, Hall said. Just as tens of thousands of essential workers will do in this current shutdown — many of which will go without pay during.
The San Diego airport, which saw a record 25.24 million passengers last year, wasn’t an anomaly, at least among the several airports contacted by The Desert Sun regarding shutdown impacts.
San José Mineta International Airport travelers have not experienced any delays that are the result of the shutdown, said Julie Jarratt, a spokesperson for the airport, in an email to the Desert Sun on Oct. 3. Jarratt said the airport had no information indicating they’d be impacted by the shutdown.
In Southern California, the Ontario International Airport hasn’t experienced any impacts either, according to spokesperson Steve Lambert in an email to the Desert Sun on Oct. 3. And the government shutdown that ended in 2019 didn’t result in any delays or challenges for the airport, said Lambert.
So, what about Southern California’s busiest airport?
An LAX official told the Desert Sun in a statement on Oct. 3 that Los Angeles World Airports, the governing body of LAX and Van Nuys Airport, “does not anticipate major impacts to LAX or VNY operations during this time.”
“Under the current U.S. government shutdown, employees of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) who provide essential services to the traveling public at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Van Nuys Airport (VNY) will continue to work,” an LAX official said.
LAX did not directly address whether travelers have experienced any delays due to the shutdown.
Will the government shutdown affect my flight? It could
The government shutdown, which began on Oct. 1, left Californians scrambling to learn what key services and programs would be impacted, from Social Security to SNAP benefits. Amid this came a warning from TSA that an extended shutdown could mean longer wait times at airports.
There are 61,000 Transportation Security Administration workers who are considered excepted or exempt, meaning employees who will continue to work or are unaffected during the shutdown. But in previous shutdowns, some TSA agents didn’t show up for work, prompting travel delays.
But it’s not a concern travelers at San Francisco International Airport need to have.
San Francisco International Airport’s security screeners are employees with Covenant Aviation Security, a privately-owned company that provides airport screening and security services, the airport said on their website. As a result, these workers aren’t impacted in a federal government shutdown.
In a government shutdown in 2019, the absence of 10 air traffic controllers, who are also deemed essential during a shutdown, “temporarily shut down travel” at one airport and “caused delays at other major hubs,” CNN had reported.
In the present, air traffic control facilities already were “experiencing an uptick in sick calls” that could result in flight delays and cancelations, USA TODAY reported on Oct. 6.
Lambert, the spokesperson for Ontario International Airport, said that the airport hadn’t seen any evidence of TSA workers showing up for work or not showing up for work that’s in relation to the shutdown. However, Lambert said it was something for TSA to address.
TSA did not immediately respond to the Desert Sun’s inquiry as to whether any agents have not shown up to work at California airports, including Ontario International, due to the shutdown.
Has the government shutdown ended?
As of the afternoon of Monday, Oct. 6, the federal government shutdown has not ended.
Senate vote today on shutdown
Senators on Monday, Oct. 6 failed to strike a funding deal for the fifth time – guaranteeing that the government shutdown will drag on even longer.
The Senate again shot down dueling bills authored by Republicans and Democrats.
Paris Barraza is a trending reporter covering California news at The Desert Sun. Reach her at pbarraza@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Is the government shutdown affecting air travel in California? What LAX, San Diego say
Reporting by Paris Barraza, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
