AARP Hearing Center
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.