The government may be back open, but travelers shuffling through airports say the anxiety from the shutdown has not completely faded.
At LaGuardia Airport and across the country, flyers heading home for Thanksgiving face a surge in holiday volume layered on top of lingering uncertainty from a government shutdown that disrupted air traffic and reduced flights. The FAA is bracing for one of the busiest travel periods in years. For military families traveling on leave, veterans heading home and service members in transit, timing and reliability can mean the difference between a reunion and a missed connection.
The Federal Aviation Administration is bracing for record volume in the days ahead. In a release issued Friday, the agency said more than 360,000 flights are expected to lift off to destinations across the country as Thanksgiving travel peaks, marking what it called the busiest holiday period in 15 years. Tuesday, Nov. 25, is projected to be the heaviest travel day, with more than 52,000 flights scheduled nationwide.
“Thanks to the dedication of our air traffic controllers and every FAA employee, we are ready for the holiday rush and take pride in helping travelers reach their friends and families during this important time of year,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said in a statement. “I am deeply grateful to our entire FAA team. Even through a period of record-high traffic, their unwavering commitment keeps the system running safely.”
The numbers reflect what travelers at LaGuardia are already seeing firsthand: crowded terminals, full departure boards and little room for error as millions try to get home after a shutdown that strained staffing and disrupted normal operations.
Thanksgiving travelers at LaGuardia Airport in New York City and across the country are heading into one of the busiest travel periods in years while the system continues to rebound from a record 43-day government shutdown that disrupted air traffic and reduced flights and also impeded other routine operations of the federal government.
For military families traveling on leave, veterans heading home, and service members in transit, even a small delay can mean the difference between a long-awaited reunion and a missed connection.
'Deplaned and It Was Terrible'
Getting pulled off a plane in the middle of a trip is the kind of disruption that sticks with you. For one Brooklyn traveler, it turned a regular weekend into a nightmare.
Daniel Rathburn, of Red Hook, said the government shutdown upended his plans and caught him in the ripple effects after air traffic disruptions forced his flight back to the gate.
“I was traveling two weekends ago and was deplaned, and it was terrible,” Rathburn told Military.com.
Even with the government reopened, he said confidence has been slow to return for travelers navigating congested terminals and packed departure boards.
Rathburn described himself as a last-minute traveler but said he is choosing to trust airline crews to sort out any remaining disruptions. He added that he leans on his fiancée to handle the planning and joked that having “a beautiful fiancée that does all your planning” helps keep stress in check.
Originally from the Detroit area and now living in Brooklyn, he said frequent travel has conditioned him not to panic when plans fall apart.
“I’m trusting that our airline folks will figure it out,” Rathburn added.
When Leave Meets Logjams
For service members and military families planning leave, holiday travel is more than an inconvenience. A delayed or canceled flight can lead to missed family time or shortened leave.
The shutdown triggered a chain reaction that shut down public events, restricted access to institutions and disrupted essential services nationwide.
Classifying only certain workers as “essential” during funding lapses has a ripple effect that can weaken services well beyond the initial shutdown.
Shutdown Jitters Still Hang in the Air
Other travelers moving through LaGuardia echoed the same mix of relief and unease.
“I was a little bit worried that my flights would get delayed," said Lizzie of Manhattan’s Upper East Side. "Hopefully everything goes smoothly. I haven’t heard anything today, so I wasn’t too nervous."
She said she is especially concerned about her return trip, which falls on one of the busiest days of the year.
“I’m flying home on Sunday and that’s like the busiest day of the year for a flight,” she said, adding that she plans to block out the stress by putting on her headphones and trying not to absorb the tension around her.
Drew Gupta, of Manhattan, said the reopening of the government brought some relief but not full confidence.
"We’re trying to take some confidence in the fact that the government is reopened."
“We did have concerns but we’re trying to take some confidence in the fact that the government is reopened, although it’s tough to really say if this means that the flight network is going to be up and running,” Gupta told Military.com.
He added that the shutdown created a ripple effect that is still front of mind as he tries to get home for the holiday.
“Right now, we’re just really hoping it’s going to be seamless because we really want to see our families for Thanksgiving,” he added.
No 'Jinx'
For Taylor Copeland the goal was simple but far from guaranteed.
“Hopefully [it will be] a smooth flight. I don’t know, everything’s on time. Now let me not jinx it,” Copeland told Military.com as she prepared to check a bag and head toward her gate for a flight to Raleigh.
Copeland said the shutdown and the widespread reduction in flights had been on her mind in the days leading up to her trip. Even with operations officially back to normal, she said the uncertainty has not fully lifted.
“I mean, yes, I was worried about the government shutdown and all the reduction in flights and all that stuff,” she said.
She paused and glanced toward the departure boards, where flight numbers flickered between on-time and boarding.
“Just trying to get to my destination tonight,” Copeland said.
