{"id":277098,"date":"2025-10-04T12:16:14","date_gmt":"2025-10-04T12:16:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/277098\/"},"modified":"2025-10-04T12:16:14","modified_gmt":"2025-10-04T12:16:14","slug":"how-phoenix-sky-harbor-operates-during-government-shutdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/277098\/","title":{"rendered":"How Phoenix Sky Harbor operates during government shutdown"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;right:0;bottom:0;width:100%;height:100%;z-index:2\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/86316616007-202509231145529970-reps-stanton-ansari-blame-gop-for-looming-shutdown.jpg\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"vidplayicon\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/appservices\/universal-web\/universal\/icons\/icon-play-alt-white.svg\" alt=\"play\" style=\"height:40px;margin:auto 18px auto 27px;width:40px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Reps. Stanton, Ansari call on Republicans to reverse health care cuts<\/p>\n<p>Reps. Stanton, Ansari call on Republicans in Congress to work across the aisle to reverse recent health care cuts and avoid a government shutdown.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Elected officials state that air travel remains safe and secure despite the federal government shutdown.<\/li>\n<li>Essential federal employees, including TSA officers and air traffic controllers, are continuing to work without pay.<\/li>\n<li>Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport has experienced manageable security wait times and minimal flight disruptions so far.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Air travel is safe and secure and America&#8217;s airports are open for business, elected officials said while discussing the effects of the federal government shutdown at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It is safe to fly here at Sky Harbor and around the United States of America,&#8221; Rep. Greg Stanton said Friday, Oct. 3, during a news conference at the airport. &#8220;Air traffic controllers, FAA, staff and TSA officers are still on the job. Flights are taking off and landing. Security screening is operating.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Stanton was joined by Rep. Yassamin Ansari and Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego to speak about how the shutdown is affecting air travel and what air travelers should know before their flights.<\/p>\n<p>Stanton and Ansari, both Democrats, also said they are ready to negotiate with Republicans in Congress on how to resolve the shutdown.<\/p>\n<p class=\"related-link\"><strong style=\"margin-right:3px\">The shutdown in Arizona: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.azcentral.com\/story\/news\/politics\/arizona\/2025\/10\/03\/where-the-government-shutdown-will-hit-arizona-hardest\/86485832007\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Here&#8217;s where the federal government shutdown may hit the hardest in the state<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s what air travelers should know about flying during the government shutdown.<\/p>\n<p>Security wait times remain manageable at Phoenix Sky Harbor<\/p>\n<p>Transportation Security Administration officers continue to screen passengers at the airport before they go to their gates.<\/p>\n<p>As of Friday, Oct. 3, Sky Harbor&#8217;s security wait times on average haven&#8217;t exceeded 20 minutes. Travelers can obtain live updates on the airport&#8217;s security wait times at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.skyharbor.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">skyharbor.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Before the officials spoke, Phoenix aviation director Chad Makovsky told The Arizona Republic that things are running smoothly so far at Sky Harbor because TSA officers, air traffic controllers, Customs and Border Protection and other essential workers are still reporting to work.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s only because these federal employees are showing up,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>But Makovsky is concerned that a prolonged shutdown could cause disruptions as workers missing their paychecks must figure out how to pay for rent, groceries and other basic needs.<\/p>\n<p>Federal workers not getting paid &#8220;creates strain on the system and on their families,&#8221; Stanton said.<\/p>\n<p>Gallego urged the traveling public to be kind to airport workers.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We have a high passenger volume, and many are working without pay,&#8221; she said. &#8220;So we always appreciate a smile and a kind word for the individuals who work at the airport, but it is especially valuable today.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"related-link\"><strong style=\"margin-right:3px\">Will AZ mail, flights get interrupted? <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.azcentral.com\/story\/news\/politics\/arizona\/2025\/10\/02\/shutdown-continues-along-with-mail-flights-social-security\/86466356007\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">How government shutdown could affect you<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Few delayed flights at Sky Harbor<\/p>\n<p>Besides TSA officers, air traffic control also plays a key role in making sure airports run smoothly and safely.<\/p>\n<p>Controllers reporting to work has helped Sky Harbor operate normally with limited disruptions. Flight tracking website <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flightaware.com\/live\/cancelled\/today\/phx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">FlightAware<\/a> showed Sky Harbor experienced about 90 to 130 flight delays each day from Oct. 1-3; Sky Harbor handles more than 1,000 arriving and departing flights daily.<\/p>\n<p>No flights departing from Sky Harbor were canceled during the shutdown&#8217;s first three days, though a Southwest Airlines flight traveling to Phoenix from San Diego was canceled on Oct. 3.<\/p>\n<p>Ansari commended and thanked federal employees for their work through the shutdown, acknowledging how airport workers like air traffic controllers and TSA officers &#8220;are some of the highest stress jobs in the entire country&#8221; and experiencing staffing shortages.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;You are doing truly heroic work during a time when even the president of the United States is refusing to do so,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<p>President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress blame Democrats for the shutdown. Several government agencies communicated <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/politics\/2025\/10\/02\/government-shutdown-education-department-emails-blame-democrats\/86479770007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">partisan messaging<\/a> to explain why the shutdown is happening, including the TSA in a statement to The Republic, which blamed &#8220;the partisan politics of left-wing politicians.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"related-link\"><strong style=\"margin-right:3px\">Immigration: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.azcentral.com\/story\/news\/politics\/immigration\/2025\/10\/02\/how-shutdown-affects-immigration-enforcement-services\/86458384007\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">What a government shutdown means for immigration enforcement and services<\/a><\/p>\n<p>What air travelers should do when flying during a shutdown<\/p>\n<p>Makovsky and Ansari both recalled the last prolonged government shutdown, which lasted 35 days from December 2018 to January 2019 and was the longest shutdown in American history, disrupted operations at Sky Harbor. Airports nationwide experienced flight delays and long lines for security screenings as TSA officers and air traffic controllers didn&#8217;t report to work.<\/p>\n<p>Stanton, Ansari and Gallego offered these tips for people traveling through Sky Harbor:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Arrive at the airport at least two hours before domestic flights and three hours for international flights.<\/li>\n<li>Check the status of your flight with your airline before leaving for the airport. &#8220;Airlines may adjust schedules if staffing pressures grow over time,&#8221; Stanton said.<\/li>\n<li>Travelers who need a passport or a visa should make their appointments now. These services will continue through the shutdown since they&#8217;re fee-funded, but delays are possible if a shutdown continues.<\/li>\n<li>Be patient at the airport, as the people serving passengers are doing vital work under difficult conditions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Michael Salerno is an award-winning journalist who\u2019s covered travel and tourism since 2014. His work as The Arizona Republic\u2019s consumer travel reporter aims to help readers navigate the stresses of traveling and get the best value for their money on their vacations. He can be reached at\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:Michael.Salerno@gannett.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Michael.Salerno@gannett.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"exclude-from-newsgate\"><strong>Support local journalism.<\/strong>\u00a0Subscribe to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/offers.azcentral.com\/specialoffer?gps-source=CPNEWS&amp;itm_medium=onsite&amp;itm_source=TAGLINE&amp;itm_campaign=NEWSROOM&amp;itm_content=MICHAELSALERNO\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">azcentral.com<\/a>\u00a0today.<\/p>\n<p class=\"related-link\"><strong style=\"margin-right:3px\">Know before flying: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.azcentral.com\/story\/travel\/airlines\/2025\/09\/20\/southwest-airlines-wheelchair-policy\/86208021007\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">New Southwest Airlines rule for wheelchair users<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Reps. Stanton, Ansari call on Republicans to reverse health care cuts Reps. Stanton, Ansari call on Republicans in&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":277099,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5131],"tags":[11305,647,691,2529,1166,10314,839,5229,5643,1587,327,10889,9124,446,69,2488,454,49089,11574,7251,26795,2487,641,425,4297,451,635,7233,50,450,457,10669,1589,11309,80,7047,1054,98499,4540,26798,13172,18817,10602,645,2490,1164,277,639,661,1439,31363,67,586,132,5230,68,2969,7223,467,640],"class_list":{"0":"post-277098","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-phoenix","8":"tag-cdp","9":"tag-affiliate","10":"tag-ai","11":"tag-air","12":"tag-air-travel","13":"tag-airlines","14":"tag-airport","15":"tag-america","16":"tag-arizona","17":"tag-az","18":"tag-congress","19":"tag-democratic","20":"tag-democratic-party","21":"tag-donald","22":"tag-donald-trump","23":"tag-enabled","24":"tag-government","25":"tag-government-shutdown","26":"tag-greg","27":"tag-greg-stanton","28":"tag-harbor","29":"tag-highlights","30":"tag-know","31":"tag-local","32":"tag-local-affiliate-travel","33":"tag-negative","34":"tag-new","35":"tag-new-visitors-az","36":"tag-news","37":"tag-overall","38":"tag-overall-negative","39":"tag-party","40":"tag-phoenix","41":"tag-phoenix-cdp","42":"tag-politics","43":"tag-republican","44":"tag-republican-party","45":"tag-shutdown","46":"tag-sky","47":"tag-sky-harbor-airport","48":"tag-southwest","49":"tag-southwest-airlines","50":"tag-stanton","51":"tag-story","52":"tag-story-highlights-ai-enabled","53":"tag-travel","54":"tag-trump","55":"tag-ttp","56":"tag-ttp-what-we-know","57":"tag-u-s","58":"tag-u-s-congress","59":"tag-united-states","60":"tag-united-states-of-america","61":"tag-unitedstates","62":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","63":"tag-us","64":"tag-usa","65":"tag-visitors","66":"tag-we","67":"tag-what"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/277098","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=277098"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/277098\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/277099"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=277098"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=277098"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=277098"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}