Travelers Start to Feel Effects of the Government Shutdown

More challenges are likely the longer the shutdown continues

a collage of an airplane, passport and airport control tower

Long lines and flight delays are among the challenges travelers can expect to encounter as the shutdown of the American government continues.

AARP (Getty Images, 4)

Berit Thorkelson,

Updated October 07, 2025

AARP

Published October 03, 2025

/ Updated October 07, 2025

If your upcoming travel plans include an airport or a national park, be prepared to pivot, and pack your patience. Long lines, delayed flights and unmaintained park restrooms are some of the very real possibilities in the wake of the U.S. government shutdown.

Six days into the shutdown that began Oct. 1, after Congress failed to meet its deadline to agree on a budget for the next fiscal year, the Federal Aviation Administration reported staffing shortages at air traffic control towers created delays at three airports.

Until a deal is reached, a vast majority of federal employees who keep U.S. airports and air travel running are either furloughed or working without pay, the Associated Press reported. This is on top of existing challenges at airports and national parks, which underwent workforce reductions and budget cuts earlier this year.

On Oct. 6, delays were reported at the Burbank, California; Newark, New Jersey; and Denver airports. AP reported that the worst problems were in Burbank, where there were no air traffic controllers on duty during the evening, leading to average delays of two-and-a-half hours at the airport. The New York Times reported the “management of incoming flight was being assumed by counterparts at Southern California Terminal Radar Approach Control in San Diego.”

“The longer a shutdown drags on, the more likely we are to see longer [Transportation Security Administration] lines, flight delays and cancellations, national parks in disrepair and unnecessary delays in modernizing travel infrastructure,” Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, warned in a news release prior to the shutdown.

It hits at a time when an increasing number of older adults are expected to travel. Seventy percent of adults 50-plus planned to travel in 2025, according to AARP’s Travel Trends survey, which also identified an increase in domestic airplane travel among this age group.

Historically, between 30 and 40 percent of national park visitors are older adults. Some take advantage of the America the Beautiful Senior Pass program, which grants those 62 and older annual access to national parks and recreation lands for $20 and lifetime access for $80.

There’s still a lot of uncertainty around how this will all play out. But here’s what you need to know now.

Are national parks closed?

In general, national parks will remain open, but not running at full capacity. And their status could change at any moment.

The shutdown contingency plan released by the Department of the Interior said, “Park roads, lookouts, trails, and open-air memorials will generally remain accessible to visitors.” However, parks without “accessible areas” will be closed, and sites currently open could close if damage is done to park resources or if garbage is building up. About 64 percent of the National Park Service workforce has been furloughed, according to the plan, while the remaining employees are working without pay.

No new permits will be issued, special events and interpretive programs requiring national park staff have been canceled, and websites and social media will not be updated. Any federally funded infrastructure project will pause as well.

The day the shutdown began, the AP reported wide variations in access across the more than 400 sites overseen by the National Park Service. Hikers in Acadia National Park in Maine had to decide whether hiking was safe without a map (map receptacles are not being restocked) and without park rangers to advise or potentially rescue them from harm. In Mississippi, the state’s most-visited cultural attraction, Vicksburg National Military Park, was shut down.

Vicksburg has since reopened thanks to the Friends of Vicksburg National Military Park and Campaign, a nonprofit group that committed to pay $2,000 a day to keep it open during the shutdown. The Department of the Interior’s contingency plan allows parks to enter into agreements with states, local governments, Native American tribes and other groups willing to donate to keep the sites open. Organizations have stepped in to help at other parks, but it’s unclear what services have started again.

If the last shutdown — which at 35 days (from Dec. 22, 2018, to Jan. 25, 2019) was the longest in U.S. history — was any indication, parks will see some damage. “Parks were left open without enough staff,” Theresa Pierno, president and CEO of the National Parks Conservation Association, said of the previous shutdown in a statement. “Landmarks were graffitied, artifacts stolen, Joshua trees destroyed, fragile landscapes damaged by illegal off-roading, wildlife poached, and trash and human waste overflowed.”

Is airline travel affected by the shutdown?

The roughly 13,200 air traffic controllers and more than 61,000 TSA government employees are expected to remain on the job, although they are currently working without pay.

John E. DiScala, creator of the travel tips and deals website Johnny Jet, spoke with several TSA agents when he was departing from Los Angeles International Airport on the first day of the shutdown. They reported “business as usual,” he says in an interview with AARP. He gave one caveat: “The longer it goes, people are going to start dropping off because they don’t get paid. People have to pay their bills.”

Such was the case during the last shutdown. About three weeks in, security screeners began calling in sick at greater than three times the typical rate. Miami International Airport had to close one of its terminals temporarily due to the shortage, the AP reported. In addition, air traffic controllers eventually sued the government in a bid to get their paychecks.

Decreased staff has the potential to create lines, delays and cancellations.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Oct. 6 that the shutdown is putting more stress on air traffic controllers. He noted an uptick in controllers calling out sick. When there’s a shortage of controllers, the FAA reduces the number of takeoffs and landings to ensure the workers aren’t overwhelmed and the system stays safe, AP reported.

Passport and visa services, as well as TSA PreCheck applications, are funded by application fees and will continue, though reduced staffing and closed federal buildings may delay processing. Global Entry applications are suspended.

Does the shutdown affect trains or cruises?

Amtrak, the nation’s largest intercity passenger train service, is a government-owned, for-profit company that will operate as usual. However, it does receive federal funding for infrastructure projects, which could be delayed by an extended shutdown.

Like other essential government employees, U.S. Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection agents are working, but without pay. Considering that cruise travel often relies upon air travel, delays or cancellations in one sector could affect the other.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published Oct. 3, 2025. It has been updated to reflect new information.

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Contributing: The Associated Press

Berit Thorkelson is a travel writer and editor for aarp.org. She has also written for publications such as National Geographic Traveler, Better Homes & Gardens and The Minnesota Star Tribune's travel section.