ORLANDO, Fla. \u2013 After a record 43 days, the longest government shutdown in U.S. history came to an end last night, bringing relief to hundreds of thousands of federal workers who went without pay for more than six weeks.<\/p>\n
But for travelers, the effects of the shutdown are far from over. Flight cuts by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) remain in place, continuing to cause delays and cancellations across the country \u2014 including at Orlando International Airport (MCO).<\/p>\n
[WATCH: President Trump signs government funding bill, ending shutdown]<\/p>\n
For many passengers at MCO, the end of the shutdown was welcome news.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a sigh of relief,\u201d said traveler Natalie Grace. \u201cWe left for the airport very early, anticipating, you know, hours of wait, and there was no one in line. So it was great.\u201d<\/p>\n
Federal officials confirmed that Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers and FAA employees will soon begin receiving back pay. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said controllers and other FAA staff should receive about 70% of their back pay within a 24 to 48 hours. In addition, DHS officials announced a $10,000 bonus for TSA employees as a gesture of appreciation for working without pay during the shutdown.<\/p>\n
[BELOW: FAA reduces air traffic across \u201chigh-volume\u201d markets]<\/p>\n
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said there were \u201ctens of thousands of individuals who stepped up and continued to serve\u201d during the last six weeks. When asked whether that was referring to those who did not call out sick or stay home for other reasons, Noem said, \u201cThat\u2019s not necessarily the parameters.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a statement, the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA) said:<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re grateful to all the federal employees who continued their vital work at MCO throughout this government shutdown. Now that it has concluded, we\u2019re committed to maintaining seamless operations and supporting our travelers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still, the impact of the FAA\u2019s flight cuts remain.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had our flights delayed coming into Orlando a week ago, and then today we were delayed by about four hours,\u201d said traveler Mindy Jurek.<\/p>\n
The FAA\u2019s emergency order, which took effect Nov. 7, with the goal of reducing flights up to 10% at 40 major airports \u2014 including Orlando International \u2014 due to air traffic controller shortages caused by the shutdown. Officials now say the situation is improving, but normal operations will take time to resume.<\/p>\n
[BELOW: MCO among 40 airports on FAA flight reduction list]<\/p>\n
Since the order went into effect, MCO officials report 394 canceled flights, including 41 on Thursday and another eight expected Friday.<\/p>\n
The slowdown in air traffic has also hurt rideshare drivers who depend on transportation for passengers.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou wake up in the morning, you go out to try to make some money, and you just sit down and lose the time,\u201d said one Uber driver outside the airport.<\/p>\n
A taxi driver added, \u201cThis is the worst I\u2019ve ever seen it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Experts have said it might take several days for airlines to return to normal operations after the order is lifted. <\/p>\n
Delta Airlines stated, “We look forward to bringing our operation back to full capacity over the next few days and delivering the premium experience our customers expect as we look ahead to the holiday season.” <\/p>\n
For now, many travelers are hopeful that the skies will soon return to normal before the Thanksgiving holiday.<\/p>\n
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