Does the 2018-2019 US government shutdown affect travelling to and from the US?
My grandparents bought a flight on United Airlines that departs on Feb 10 2019, as the one and same ticket, from Toronto, to ORD with 1 55-minute layover, then Maui. Please ping me if I ought post their return flight on Feb 24's details. This answer advises:
There should be no customs and immigrations formalities at ORD, as YYZ is a pre-clearance airport, and CBP matters will be handled in Toronto.
I'm assuming that the 2018-2019 federal gov't shutdown persists during their vacation to Maui.
On Jan 11 2019, NY Times reported some TSA agents' refusal to work.
Will Air Traffic Controllers refuse to work, or any other federal workers pertinent to travelling to and from the US?
Best Answer
At this stage the impact from the US Government "Partial" Shutdown is minimal to zero for air travelers.
Staff such as TSA, CBP (including pre-clearance facilities such as in Toronto) and Air Traffic Control are all considered "essential employees" and thus are still working regardless of the partial shutdown, although they are not currently being paid (although they WILL be paid back-pay once the shutdown ends).
As you've pointed out, some TSA workers are "calling in sick", or in some cases even looking for new jobs, which is potentially leaving them a little short-staffed, however as this stage the impact of that has been at most minimal. eg, Miami airport did close the "Terminal G" area early over this weekend, however that just resulted in flights that were due to use that terminal using a different one instead with no real traveler impact.
Air Traffic Control is still operating normally, and there haven't been any reports I've seen of this changing in the (near) future.
As time goes on the impact may increase, and it certainly wouldn't hurt for most travelers to arrive at the airport a little earlier than normal just in case.
Specifically for your parents, they will pass through Immigration/customs at Toronto airport, and will NOT need to re-clear security in Chicago so even if there are delays they will not be affected during transit.
Update: As the shutdown continues, there has been some impact at a small number of airports due to a shortage of TSA staff reporting to work. TSA is still reporting that the vast majority of passengers (93%) took less than 15 minutes to get through screening, and almost all (99.9%) are taking less than 30 mins, however there have been reports of a small number of airports having longer waits. If flying, it would be best to check the news beforehand to get an idea if your airport is affected, and allow extra time to get through security just in case.
There have been significant flight delays/cancellations in certain locations over the past week or so, however these have been due to extremely cold weather and storms, and are not related to the government shutdown.
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Can you travel during a government shutdown?
Yes. You can continue your travel if your salary and the travel expenses are funded by a non-lapsing appropriation. Your supervisor will provide you with additional guidance if there are any questions concerning your travel.What does it mean when the gov shuts down?
A government shutdown occurs when the legislative branch does not pass key bills which fund or authorize the operations of the executive branch, resulting in the cessation of some or all operations of a government.Why did the US government shut down in 2019?
The shutdown stemmed from an impasse over Trump's demand for $5.7 billion in federal funds for a U.S.\u2013Mexico border wall.When has the US government shut down?
Some of the most significant shutdowns in U.S. history have included the 21-day shutdown of 1995\u20131996 during the Bill Clinton administration over opposition to major spending cuts; the 16-day shutdown in 2013 during the Barack Obama administration caused by a dispute over implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA ...Why this government shutdown represents a 'historic first'
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Answer 2
I travel quite frequently between the US and Canada and the only impact I have seen is the NEXUS desk at YYZ (and assuming all other NEXUS enrollment centers), it is staffed by DHS/CBP officers and it is deemed non-essential.
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