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How the partial government shutdown is impacting Chicago airports
The partial government shutdown is affecting air travel, including at Chicago airports.
CHICAGO - Chicago airports were operating business as usual Monday morning despite the partial government shutdown that has shut off pay for some workers.
In the past 24 hours, only seven flights have been canceled at O'Hare Airport while none have been reported at Midway. Both airports are experiencing average delays.
The partial shutdown began Saturday after Congress failed to reach an agreement on funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
Several agencies fall under the shutdown, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, the TSA, FEMA, the Coast Guard and the Secret Service.
Impact on air travel
What we know:
TSA workers have been working without pay since Saturday. According to the contingency plan put out by DHS in September, about 95% of TSA employees are considered essential workers, meaning they are required to work even during a shutdown.
Air traffic controllers are employed by the Federal Aviation Administration, which is under the Department of Transportation, not Homeland Security. Therefore, ATC’s will continue receiving paychecks as they show up for work.
Travel experts say long lines at security checkpoints are expected, with TSA call-outs or staffing shortages. With that, they recommend getting to the airport earlier than your normal arrival time to beat the long lines and avoid any other hassle. If you can ditch the extra suitcase and only bring a carry-on, experts say that could help avoid additional issues if your flight is delayed or canceled.
Dig deeper:
From the end of 2025 through the start of the year, the U.S. experienced its longest ever government shutdown, which lasted 43 days. This caused severe interruptions to airports nationwide and food assistance programs.
Over 670,000 federal workers were furloughed, and about 730,000 worked without pay. This led to TSA security screeners and air traffic controllers calling off work.
What's next:
Congress is currently on recess with both the House and Senate set to return on Feb. 23. However, the Senate is scheduled to meet earlier for a pro forma session on Tuesday.
The Source: Fox Chicago's Se Kwon reported on this story from O'Hare Airport.