The federal government may have shuttered its doors Tuesday, but travelers might not have noticed.
That’s because most employees responsible for screening baggage and passengers are considered essential employees. Same with air traffic controllers, who reported to work Tuesday to oversee the nation’s skies, but the Federal Aviation Administration’s development of the so-called “NextGen” air traffic control system is postponed.
“The majority of our officers who screen passengers/luggage will remain on the job,” Fox News quoted TSA spokesman Ross Feinstein as saying in a tweet. Likewise, Amtrak trains continued to operate.
“Amtrak will continue normal operation of its national intercity and high-speed passenger rail network in the event of a short-term federal government shutdown,” the railroad said in a statement. “Passengers planning to travel on Amtrak trains in the Northeast Corridor and across the country in the coming days and weeks can be assured that Amtrak will remain open for business.”
However, travelers looking to visit a national park or a federally managed site are out of luck.
