By Lena LaJoy

Flight delays and cancellations have wreaked havoc nationwide due to the recent government shutdown, and students worry about how this will affect their Thanksgiving break.

At midnight on Oct. 1, the government shutdown began because the two political parties in Congress could not agree on a funding bill. The historic impasse lasted 43 days until Democrats and Republicans came to an agreement on Nov. 12. 

Due to the shutdown, government employees — including airport workers — went unpaid, leading some airport staff to stop working. 

The decrease in staff has caused flight delays at many airports, and as the shutdown continued, many flights were canceled. 

Although the government is back up and running, the impact on flights can still be felt around the country. According to the Associated Press, the Federal Aviation Administration planned to increase flight cuts from 4% to 6%. 

Flight cuts are expected to increase until the FAA sees improved safety metrics despite the government shutdown ending, and around 5.2 million people were impacted by staffing problems or flight cancellations, according to the AP.  

The AP predicted that air travel during Thanksgiving could be problematic due to a decrease in ticket sales.

Sienna Gediman, a sophomore environmental science and policy major, said she planned to arrive at the airport two hours earlier than usual for her hour and 15-minute flight.

Gediman said in the past she arrived at the airport only around an hour before her flight due to minimal wait times. Gediman said she was worried as Ronald Reagan Washington National and Boston Logan International airports were both very busy, and her flight was later in the day.

“I am probably going to have to miss my last class of that day to make sure I get to the airport on time,” Gediman said. “So that is quite inconvenient.” 

Arjun Sundaram, a sophomore electrical engineering major, said he was worried about flying home for Thanksgiving because he was expecting delays. 

Sundaram said he flew home for fall break, and his travel then was not impacted by the government shutdown; however, he was worried that conditions could have worsened since it had been weeks since that flight.  

Sundaram said he planned to arrive two hours early at the airport so he could check his bags and ensure he would not miss his flight.

“I guess I am a bit worried because there are probably going to be some delays either in the flight taking off or luggage coming back from the carousel,” Sundaram said. 

Samantha Tam, a sophomore neuroscience major, said she was worried about flying home for Thanksgiving because she already had a difficult time flying home for fall break. 

Tam said a month ago, Boston Logan International Airport was using only one of three runways for incoming and outgoing flights. She said her flight was delayed by an hour on the way home and half an hour on the way back to school.

Tam also said social media impacted her feelings about her upcoming trip home for Thanksgiving. She said seeing people post about cancellations and lines increased her worries.

“There was a TikTok of this girl filming the departure board at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, and it was like every single flight was delayed or cancelled,” Tam said. “And it just really got me worried about it.” 

Featured image: A view of the exterior of the College Park Airport Operations Building. Photo by Miller Rogers-Tetrick.