Savannah/HHI International Airport not impacted by federal government shutdown at this time

by Joe Hennessy

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - The Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport said there are no immediate impacts to the federal government shutdown on Wednesday.

TSA employees are essential workers, so they will not be furloughed, but it does mean they will be working without pay until the governmental issues are resolved in Washington, D.C.

A U.S. Department of Transportation report released before the shutdown shows that nearly 13,300 air traffic controllers will be working without pay across the country; however, more than 11,200 Federal Aviation Administration employees will be furloughed.

The National Transportation Safety Board will also furlough about a quarter of its staff, but the agency says it’ll continue to investigate crashes and other safety incidents.

According to the report, the department has sufficient liquidating cash to continue FAA operations during a lapse in appropriations. There is no timeline in this report that shows when the cash will be gone, though.

WTOC reached out to TSA who sent us the following statement:

Beginning midnight October 1st, funding for much of the Federal Government will have expired due to the partisan politics of left-wing politicians. While it is unfortunate some of our politicians have put politics before the well-being of our country, TSA is prepared for an orderly shutdown.
Approximately 61,000 of the agency’s 64,000 employees are considered excepted or exempt and TSA will continue operations to keep the travelling public safe. The remaining employees will be temporarily furloughed.
While TSA is prepared to continue screening about 2.5M passengers a day, an extended shutdown could mean longer wait times at airports. We kindly ask for our passengers’ patience during this time. Despite this challenge, we will remain vigilant and focused on performing our vital security mission on behalf of the American people.
TSA Spokesperson