PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Florida's major airports are experiencing significant disruptions as the government shutdown approaches its longest duration in U.S. history, with nearly 200 flights delayed across Palm Beach International, Orlando International and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International airports.
The weekend proved particularly challenging for air travelers nationwide, with thousands of flights delayed or canceled as federal employees, including air traffic controllers and TSA officers, continue working without pay.
WATCH: Travel expert says delays are sign that shutdown is 'starting to wear on the system'
Christopher Ripp experienced the delays firsthand when his daughter's flight to New York was severely impacted.
"They flew over Pennsylvania for an hour and a half. They were almost getting ready to get directed back," Ripp said.
German Estrada, traveling from Detroit, faced similar issues with extended wait times.
"They had us wait on the airplane for about 50 minutes. Once we landed, it was maybe about a 20-minute delay," Estrada said.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy attributed roughly 65% of Sunday's nationwide delays to staffing shortages. Air traffic controllers have been working without pay since Tuesday, while TSA officers have gone more than a week without compensation.
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Mickey Alston, vice president of PBI Airport and AFGE Local 558, highlighted the financial strain on federal workers.
"How we're going to get to work if we don't have the gas money to put gas in our cars?" Alston said.
Orlando International Airport, Florida's busiest, was forced to turn away all arriving flights Thursday night and recorded nearly 800 delays over the weekend according to FlightAware. Palm Beach International and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International airports combined saw 673 flights depart late during the same period.
Travel expert Katy Nastro warns the situation represents a significant escalation from earlier in the month.
"We saw cancellations late in the week last week on Oct. 30, and that's really significant because we haven't seen mass cancellations pretty much throughout this entire period, entire month of October, they were pretty much average, if not below average, and that's a really big signal that things are starting to wear on the system," Nastro said.
The timing of the shutdown raises particular concerns as the holiday travel season approaches.
"If this government shutdown lasts through the holidays, we could definitely experience a very messy travel week," Nastro said. "We've seen things like ground stops, ground delays. We've seen delays for multiple days across multiple airports," Nastro said. "Things are starting to wear on the system."
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The delays particularly impact business travelers like Estrada, an engineer who relies on air travel for work.
"I travel to different plants around the country. Hopefully I don't get delays and I get home in time," Estrada said.
For travelers facing uncertainty, Nastro recommends purchasing flexible ticket options.
"This could potentially last through the holidays, but there is no way of knowing. The only thing that you can do is make sure that you do buy a main economy ticket to give yourself that flexibility without the added cost on top of being able to make changes if you need to," Nastro said.
Nastro also advises travelers to book the earliest possible flights during the day to minimize potential delays or cancellations during the ongoing shutdown.
"You want to give yourself as much time to get to the airport and get through processing," Nastro said.
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