ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, Md. — On Monday the government shutdown continues into its sixth day with no end in sight.
WATCH: Government shutdown impacts not felt at airport, for now
Its wide-ranging impacts are yet to be fully felt and at BWI Thurgood Marshall airport, and travelers hope it never is for them.
Over the weekend, passengers report it’s been smooth sailing and nothing out of the ordinary. Despite the thousands of essential federal workers who are now working without a paycheck.
READ MORE: Tens of thousands of Maryland federal workers shut out as government shutdown continues
More than 60,000 TSA agents and 13,000 air traffic controllers are affected.
The shutdown initially worried frequent flyer Hugh Brown, but after doing his research decided it was safe to fly into to Baltimore to see his grandson play football something he wouldn’t want to miss.
“He’s a sophomore and he’s kicking 70 yard kick-offs. That’s why he’s number two in the nation,” Brown explaining why he made the trip up from Charlotte, NC.
According to BWI director of communications Jonathan Dean, the closure is not expected to have any impacts as of right now sharing the following statement:
"From an operational, day-to-day perspective, the government shutdown is not expected to have an immediate impact on operations at BWI Marshall Airport or our passengers. However, we will continue to work closely with our federal partners and will closely monitor airport conditions.
Safety and security remain our highest priorities and will not be compromised.
We acknowledge and thank our federal partners who work here at BWI Marshall Airport to ensure safe, secure aviation for our customers. We continue to work closely with the federal personnel here."
READ MORE: Government shutdown affecting tourists in Baltimore
Passengers are concerned that the longer it lasts, the less reliable air travel will be.
The last shutdown, which lasted 35 days, resulted in federal workers calling out sick due to financial hardships, causing a ripple effect of delays and even a ground stop in New York.
Brown says if that’s the case again, he won’t fly.
“If it goes on a month, we gonna have problems. you can’t shut down everything for a month. you can shut things down, the important people will show up for like a week or so and then those guys have to pay bills,” Brown said.
Ericka Harris usually travels back and forth between Baltimore and Atlanta every month. She noticed no changes for her usual trip, but hopes that it won’t be the case next time.
“It would become a concern absolutely, because if people are calling out there’s a shortage that means the line’s longer takes the process a little more time to get to your gate to get to your flight,” Harris said. “So hopefully they can get this thing together. Really soon.”
The FAA is already short-staffed as highlighted by high-profile airplane accidents and reports over the past year. More than 11,000 workers in the agency have been furloughed as of October 1.
READ MORE: What a prolonged government shutdown could mean for Maryland, according to the White House
However, despite the closure, the agency is cleared to both hire and train air traffic controllers.
Congress passed a law after the last shutdown that requires all furloughed and essential workers to receive backpack as soon as a shutdown is complete.