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As government shutdown drags on, keep an eye on MEA break travel plans

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Published  October 8, 2025 6:30pm CDT
Travel
FOX 9
Government shutdown: MEA weekend travel could be impacted

Government shutdown: MEA weekend travel could be impacted

Families could see some airport delays due to staffing issues if the government shutdown continues into MEA weekend. FOX 9's Rob Olson has the latest report.

The Brief

    • Upticks in sick calls have already disrupted some airports in the past few days, notably Nashville, which saw an average two-hour delay Tuesday night.
    • In the shutdown of late 2018 and early 2019, the increasing sick calls were widely considered a major factor in pressuring lawmakers to find a budget agreement.
    • One week out from the MEA break, travelers are advised to pay close attention as the impacts are expected to increase.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Next weekend is expected to be, as it usually is, a very busy travel weekend at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP).

But as the government shutdown continues, disruptions are already bubbling up across the country as air traffic controllers and TSA agents are calling in sick.

If the shutdown continues, the expectations are it’ll just get worse.

Bad timing

Could government shutdown impact air travel?

Could government shutdown impact air travel?

FOX 9's Rob Olson has the latest details on concern over the possible impact the government shutdown could have on air travel over MEA weekend.

What we know:

With the federal government shutdown going into a second week, the disruptions are bubbling up at airports already.

It hasn’t affected MSP yet, but the warning from travel experts is that it very well could.

"If this shutdown extends into mid to late next week, this is going to be some pretty unfortunate timing that could have some pretty real consequences for Minnesotans who are trying to get on a plane and get out somewhere over MEA weekend," said Kyle Potter of the website Thrifty Traveler.

Busiest time at MSP

Flight delays soar as government shutdown strains air traffic control

Flight delays soar as government shutdown strains air traffic control

Aeronautics professor Heather McNevin was an air traffic controller during the 2018 government shutdown. She tells us about the crucial role that air traffic controllers play and how the current government shutdown is affecting them.

By the numbers:

In 2024, the MEA weekend saw nearly 300,000 passengers screened at security checkpoints.

The highest number was the Thursday of that week, Oct. 17. 

On that day, the airport screened 52,000 passengers, the second-highest number in their history, only topped by Feb. 5, 2018 — the day after the Super Bowl.

What to watch

Good to know:

If history is a guide, the disruptions to air travel are only going to get worse.

In January 2019, sick calls by federal airport workers grew as that shutdown dragged on. It was widely seen as a key element to ending the impasse, as millions of travelers were becoming affected.

"The powers that be saw the disruptions," Potter told FOX 9.

"They saw the delays as a result of federal workers calling out sick and said this is only going to get worse if we don’t make a deal so let’s get this moving before we upset millions of Americans with travel plans in the weeks ahead."

His advice is simple: as the shutdown continues, keep a close eye on your flights and be ready.

"If this continues and there still isn’t a funding package and these problems spread to really essential air traffic control choke points across the country, on the east coast, in southern Florida, etc., that’s when we might see some serious problems arise," Potter continued.

"I think everybody needs to be on high alert for their travel in the coming weeks."

TravelMinneapolis-St. Paul International AirportPolitics