ROANOKE, Va. – The end of the 43-day government shutdown hasn’t brought immediate relief to air travelers or federal workers at Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport (ROA), where flight disruptions continued Thursday.
A Delta flight to Atlanta was canceled Thursday morning, while six other flights faced delays. The Federal Aviation Administration maintains a 6% reduction in flights nationwide, scaled back from a planned 10% cut.
“With the flight cutbacks winding down, we do expect some impacts to still happen at least into early next week,” said Alexa Briehl, ROA’s PR and Media Manager.
Rep. Ben Cline (R-Va.) expressed optimism about upcoming holiday travel. “We are optimistic that the flights will be on schedule for Thanksgiving, that there’s not gonna be any delay by the time we get to Thanksgiving week, but it may take a few days in the early part of next week to get things back to 100%,” Cline said.
The Transportation Security Administration advises passengers to remain vigilant about travel preparations. “Travelers should continue to arrive at the airport with ample time before their flight, listen to the instruction of the TSA officer, follow all security guidelines, and stay informed through TSA’s and the airline or airport’s social media channels,” a TSA spokesperson said.
While flight schedules may normalize soon, federal workers’ pay remains a primary concern. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said Thursday that “employees who were exempt from furlough will be paid as normal. DHS will be working to expedite pay for all employees who were furloughed or working without pay in an excepted status.”
This aligns with Cline’s understanding of the funding bill signed Wednesday night.
“My understanding is that full pay for the time that the government was shut down will be coming through. That was Congress’s intent, and it is hopefully what the administration is gonna put into practice,” he said.
The airport’s Care Cupboard, established to support federal employees during the shutdown, remains open.
“There’s still a need. It could be some time until our federal colleagues get their paychecks, and we know we’re getting close to the Thanksgiving season,” Briehl said.
Despite the challenges, airport leadership praised the dedication of their federal workforce.
“This is a great opportunity to express our appreciation for our federal colleagues who have showed up and served our passengers so well and with a smile, and our operations have been able to continue because of them,” Briehl said.
Nationwide, more than 1,800 flights faced delays Thursday, with over 1,000 cancellations as the FAA works to restore normal operations.
TSA reminds travelers to utilize available resources for travel questions, including texting “Travel” to “AskTSA” (275-872), checking the “What Can I Bring” tool on tsa.gov, or visiting their Travel Tips 2025 page.