Air travel is safe and secure and America’s airports are open for business, elected officials said while discussing the effects of the federal government shutdown at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
“It is safe to fly here at Sky Harbor and around the United States of America,” Rep. Greg Stanton said Friday, Oct. 3, during a news conference at the airport. “Air traffic controllers, FAA, staff and TSA officers are still on the job. Flights are taking off and landing. Security screening is operating.”
Stanton was joined by Rep. Yassamin Ansari and Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego to speak about how the shutdown is affecting air travel and what air travelers should know before their flights.
Stanton and Ansari, both Democrats, also said they are ready to negotiate with Republicans in Congress on how to resolve the shutdown.
Here’s what air travelers should know about flying during the government shutdown.
Transportation Security Administration officers continue to screen passengers at the airport before they go to their gates.
As of Friday, Oct. 3, Sky Harbor’s security wait times on average haven’t exceeded 20 minutes. Travelers can obtain live updates on the airport’s security wait times at skyharbor.com.
Before the officials spoke, Phoenix aviation director Chad Makovsky told The Arizona Republic that things are running smoothly so far at Sky Harbor because TSA officers, air traffic controllers, Customs and Border Protection and other essential workers are still reporting to work.
“It’s only because these federal employees are showing up,” he said.
But Makovsky is concerned that a prolonged shutdown could cause disruptions as workers missing their paychecks must figure out how to pay for rent, groceries and other basic needs.
Federal workers not getting paid “creates strain on the system and on their families,” Stanton said.
Gallego urged the traveling public to be kind to airport workers.
“We have a high passenger volume, and many are working without pay,” she said. “So we always appreciate a smile and a kind word for the individuals who work at the airport, but it is especially valuable today.”
Besides TSA officers, air traffic control also plays a key role in making sure airports run smoothly and safely.
Controllers reporting to work has helped Sky Harbor operate normally with limited disruptions. Flight tracking website FlightAware showed Sky Harbor experienced about 90 to 130 flight delays each day from Oct. 1-3; Sky Harbor handles more than 1,000 arriving and departing flights daily.
No flights departing from Sky Harbor were canceled during the shutdown’s first three days, though a Southwest Airlines flight traveling to Phoenix from San Diego was canceled on Oct. 3.
Ansari commended and thanked federal employees for their work through the shutdown, acknowledging how airport workers like air traffic controllers and TSA officers “are some of the highest stress jobs in the entire country” and experiencing staffing shortages.
“You are doing truly heroic work during a time when even the president of the United States is refusing to do so,” she said.
President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress blame Democrats for the shutdown. Several government agencies communicated partisan messaging to explain why the shutdown is happening, including the TSA in a statement to The Republic, which blamed “the partisan politics of left-wing politicians.”
Makovsky and Ansari both recalled the last prolonged government shutdown, which lasted 35 days from December 2018 to January 2019 and was the longest shutdown in American history, disrupted operations at Sky Harbor. Airports nationwide experienced flight delays and long lines for security screenings as TSA officers and air traffic controllers didn’t report to work.
Stanton, Ansari and Gallego offered these tips for people traveling through Sky Harbor:
Michael Salerno is an award-winning journalist who’s covered travel and tourism since 2014. His work as The Arizona Republic’s consumer travel reporter aims to help readers navigate the stresses of traveling and get the best value for their money on their vacations. He can be reached at Michael.Salerno@gannett.com.
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