JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2014 The federal government shut down just after midnight Wednesday morning, and the impacts stretch across government agencies and services.<\/p>\n
But here in Jacksonville, airport officials expect that, at least for now, travel delays should be minimal. <\/p>\n
TSA employees at Jacksonville International Airport reported for duty Wednesday, despite the possibility they may miss their next paycheck.<\/p>\n
Flights also continued on time for the most part, with only 11 delays and one cancellation reported as of about 5 PM.<\/p>\n
Michael Stewart, Jacksonville International Airport\u2019s Vice President of External Affairs, said he doesn\u2019t expect the shutdown to have much of an impact on airport operations.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe won\u2019t notice any impacts here for travelers because those workers they will encounter are considered essential workers and they\u2019re required to work,\u201d said Stewart.<\/p>\n
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <\/b><\/a><\/p>\n But in the past, extended government shutdowns have caused issues.<\/p>\n During the 35-day government shutdown that started in December of 2018 and continued through early 2019, roughly 10 percent of TSA workers called out sick<\/a>.<\/p>\n That did result in longer screening times at major airports.<\/p>\n Stewart said it\u2019s his hope this shutdown doesn\u2019t extend that long, but in the event it does, TSA and air traffic control staffing could conceivably be impacted.<\/p>\n \u201cFor the early stages, I just suggest that travelers stay in touch with their airlines. They can give them the most updated impacts on their individual flights,\u201d said Stewart.<\/p>\n