Airports report staff shortages amid government shutdown. Is Wichita one of them?

Major airports in the U.S. are experiencing staffing shortages and other operational challenges amid the continued federal government shutdown, and while Wichita’s airport isn’t one of them, staff says they are monitoring the situation.

The Federal Aviation Administration reported Tuesday that staffing shortages have hit several major facilities as the government enters the second week of the shutdown. Among the airports affected by low air traffic control staffing are Chicago O’Hare, Nashville and Las Vegas. The shortages are the result of an uptick in sick calls from workers, the agency said.

The government shutdown began Oct. 1 after Congress failed to pass a funding bill. Essential workers are still on the job, but will only be paid after the shutdown ends. Those workers include air traffic control, and U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned a continued government shutdown could lead to more stress for those individuals.

Valerie Wise with Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport in Wichita told The Eagle via email the facility hasn’t had issues with call-outs as of Wednesday.

“We haven’t seen any shortages caused by call-outs, therefore we haven’t experienced any direct impact to our operations,” Valerie Wise, the airport’s air service and marketing manager, wrote of the shutdown. “It’s an issue of great concern and we’re going to continue to monitor the situation.”

As of Thursday, one departure flight had been delayed — from Wichita to Atlanta with a delay of 14 minutes — and one arrival from Dallas was expected to land 2 minutes late. All other arrival and departure flights scheduled for the day are on time as of 9 a.m. Arrival and departure times in Wichita are constantly updated on the airport’s website.

Travelers flying out of Wichita may notice a smoother security process due to changes in July that ended the Transportation Security Administration’s no-shoe policy. Wichita’s airport and several other airports across the state immediately implemented the change.

This story may be updated.

This story was originally published October 9, 2025 at 9:49 AM.

Lindsay Smith

The Wichita Eagle

Lindsay Smith is a suburban news reporter for the Wichita Eagle, covering the communities of Andover, Bel Aire, Derby, Haysville and Kechi. She has been on The Eagle staff since 2022 and was the service journalism reporter for three years. She has a degree in communications with an emphasis in journalism from Wichita State, where she was editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, The Sunflower, for two years. You can reach her via email at lsmith@wichitaeagle.com.