The Foreign Office has issued a travel warning for Brits planning a trip to America following the ongoing US federal government shutdown. Those in the UK hoping to fly to the US have been warned of travel disruptions, including flight delays and longer queue times at some airports. The airport chaos is due to the shutdown, which came into force on October 1, meaning a number of publicly-funded bodies in the US have had their funding stopped as the Republicans and the Democrats blame each other.
An alert on the Government website currently reads: “Check for messaging from your travel provider or airline and follow their guidance. There may also be restrictions on access to some federally-managed tourist attractions. Please check the relevant websites in advance.” The travel advice also covers American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands.
Brits who are still choosing to travel have been urged to “research your destinations and get appropriate travel insurance”. Insurance would cover your itinerary, planned activities and expenses in an emergency.
Chaos has already ensued at numerous airports across the country, as Chicago O’Hare and Newark Airport, two of America’s largest aviation hubs, grapple with air traffic controller shortages. On Monday, over 6,000 American flights faced delays, flight-tracking website FlightAware reported. Meanwhile, Nashville’s air traffic approach control shut down for five hours this week owing to personnel shortages.
Tens of thousands of controllers employed by the Federal Aviation Administration will not be paid until the shutdown ends.
One employee from South Carolina told the New York Post: “Sometimes that small moment where your mind is elsewhere can have serious impacts…Controllers were already underwater with pay and staffing before the shutdown. Now we’re drowning.”
The shutdown comes after the Senate failed to pass a government bill, which will leave hundreds of thousands of workers on unpaid leave and see a slew of Government services grind to a halt.
President Trump said: “We’ll be laying off a lot of people.”
About 750,000 federal workers could be furloughed amid the shutdown. Many offices will be shut, possibly permanently, as President Trump vows to “do things that are irreversible, that are bad” as retribution.
It is the first Government shutdown since 2018.
