Flight disruptions continue at Orlando airport even as government shutdown nears end

ORLANDO, Fla. - Even if the federal government shutdown ends soon, air travelers are being warned to expect continued disruptions at airports nationwide.

At Orlando International Airport (MCO), more than 40 flights were canceled and more than 80 others were delayed Tuesday as the Federal Aviation Administration continues to reduce flight operations. 

What we know:

Southwest Airlines was seeing the largest impact — nearly one-third of all canceled flights Tuesday were from that carrier.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered airlines to cut flight capacity at 40 major U.S. airports, with reductions expected to reach up to 10% by the end of the week. The agency requires airlines to cancel flights at least seven days in advance, making it difficult to quickly restore them once the shutdown ends.

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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said staffing shortages among air traffic controllers — some of whom have called out to find other work during the shutdown — have raised safety concerns and forced the FAA to slow air traffic.

You can check flight delays and cancellations at MCO here.

What they're saying:

Controllers will receive their back pay within 48 hours after the shutdown ends, Duffy said, but warned that normal operations may not resume immediately.

"We’re going to watch, analyze, and encourage them to come back," Duffy added. "But we're going to state to alleviate the restrictions – that are at 6% now… when the data says we should."

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President Trump has recommended bonus payments for controllers who worked every scheduled shift during the shutdown.

What we don't know:

The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to take a vote on a funding measure to address the government shutdown on Wednesday. It remains unknown whether the House will find a resolution and, if so, how soon that will impact air travel.