ST. LOUIS – As the federal government shutdown enters its second week, delays and flight disruptions carry on at several major U.S. airports, largely tied to staffing challenges with air traffic controllers and security workers.

Airports in Chicago, Denver, Nashville, and Philadelphia are among those reporting disruptions, according to the Associated Press. Aviation experts and union leaders fear that disruptions could worsen if the shutdown continues and federal employees begin missing paychecks.

So how might the shutdown affect federal workers and operations at St. Louis Lambert International Airport?

Right now, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers helping with security lines and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic controllers are still on duty at Lambert, but will not be paid until the government reopens.

This could potentially lead to longer security lines or flight delays on any given day if staffing becomes strained, though impact may vary and also depend on conditions at other airports serving St. Louis.

According to FlightView.com, on Wednesday, around 90% of scheduled departures and arrivals on Wednesday were considered “on time,” 3% were considered “late,” and 7% were considered “very late.”

FlightView.com added that FAA status was also considered “Normal” for Lambert Airport, noting that departures and arrivals could experience brief delays of 15 minutes or less due to routine air traffic.

So far, no significant TSA checkpoint delays have been reported to FOX 2 from travelers at Lambert.

FOX 2 reached out to Lambert Airport officials on potential government shutdown impacts, who advised us to contact the TSA and FAA for information. From there, FOX 2 was advised to contact the American Federation of Government Employees, representing federal aviation workers.

AFGE shared this statement on behalf of National President Everett Kelley:

“Transportation security officers at airports across the nation continue to do their jobs every day on behalf of the flying public – even though they won’t be paid for this work until Congress ends the government shutdown. AFGE does not condone, endorse, or support any federal employee engaging in, encouraging, or participating in actions that could compromise transportation security or discredit AFGE, including any strikes, slowdowns, sickouts, or other work stoppages.

“Any officers facing financial difficulties during this shutdown should reach out to their local union office or visit our national website for resources and assistance. In the meantime, AFGE continues to call on lawmakers to pass legislation to reopen the government at once to prevent these unnecessary hardships on working Americans.”

Nationwide, the FAA employs more than 35,000 controllers, technicians, engineers and support personnel at U.S. airports. Meanwhile, an estimated 61,000 TSA workers are considered essential and continue to report for duty during the government shutdown.