To stream WGRZ on your phone, you need the WGRZ app.
Next up in 5
Example video title will go here for this video
Next up in 5
Example video title will go here for this video
BUFFALO, N.Y. — A partial government shutdown is beginning to impact air travel across the country, but in Western New York, passengers at Buffalo Niagara International Airport are seeing a very different picture.
For some travelers, the experience has been smooth, at least at the start of their trips. Western New Yorker Kathryn McKracken said leaving town was quick and stress-free.
“We came and we just flew through, no problem,” she said. “I asked on Clarence community page and about 50 people said no problems—flew through, did it this week—it was great. It was easy.”
But the return trip wasn’t quite as seamless. McKracken said she and her husband arrived at Fort Lauderdale airport three hours before their flight home Monday morning, preparing for potential delays at security.
That caution is becoming more common. Across the country, TSA officers are working without pay during the shutdown, leading to increased call-outs, staffing shortages, and longer security lines, especially at larger airports.
One traveler said those delays caused him to miss a flight in Atlanta. He was relieved to land in Buffalo, where conditions were much easier.
“It’s a relatively smaller airport so less traffic, but looking at zero lines it’s absolutely incredible,” he said.
Locally, officials say Buffalo is holding steady. NFTA Public Information Officer Kelly Khatib says TSA staffing levels at Buffalo Niagara International Airport remain strong despite the national strain.
“Right now we’re not impacted like those other cities,” Khatib said. “Our TSA lines are almost non-existent. We have workers there—they’re showing up to work, they’re pushing through.”
In response to staffing shortages elsewhere, the administration of Donald Trump has deployed ICE agents to assist at some airports with crowd management and ID checks.
Congressman Nick Langworthy says that kind of support isn’t expected in Buffalo, where operations remain manageable.
“If ICE can assist and has the professional training necessary to supplement areas and airports that are understaffed—if not, it doesn’t really serve a purpose,” Langworthy said.
Still, the move is drawing criticism from lawmakers like Cory Booker, who questions whether ICE agents should have any role in airport security.
“He’s bringing that reckless agency that he has said is needed in our city—suddenly they’re gonna come here and do TSA jobs,” Booker said. “Every American knows that’s absurd, and it’s dangerous.”
For now, Buffalo travelers appear to be avoiding the worst of the disruption. But with the shutdown ongoing, passengers are still encouraged to arrive early and plan ahead especially when flying through larger, busier
