Why The Government Shutdown Won’t Impact Flight Security and Safety on the Central Coast

CENTRAL COAST, Calif. (KEYT) – In a press release sent out Wednesday morning, the San Luis Obispo County Airport shared their dedication to keep air travel safe and reliable despite the Federal Government shutdown.

The Federal Government shut down at midnight Wednesday after a deadlocked Congress failed to reach funding deal. As a result, thousands of federal workers have been furloughed – however, government workers deemed essential, such as air traffic controllers and the TSA, will stay on the job.

As an essential federal safety function, air traffic operations and security will remain uninterrupted at SLO airport, along with Santa Barbara and Santa Maria airports. All three airports say they do not anticipate any major impacts from the shutdown.

SLO airport says the shutdown, if prolonged, may impact federal funding for long-term airport infrastructure projects, which are critical for the region’s growth and connectivity. However, day-to-day flight operations remain unaffected.

Passengers are encouraged to check with their airlines for the latest flight information.