With the government shutdown affecting critical airport workers, some travelers are wondering if it is safe to fly right now. TSA officers and air traffic controllers are classified as essential workers, meaning they must continue to work without pay.

Washington

Aviation officials, safety experts, and pilots have stated that air travel remains safe despite the ongoing government shutdown. Essential personnel, including TSA officers and air traffic controllers, are required to work without pay, which has contributed to staff shortages and increased delays at airports. 

While safety standards remain in place and pilots will not take off unless it is safe, the number of delays attributed to air traffic controller shortages has risen significantly. The situation has placed additional stress on essential workers, many of whom are managing financial pressures while continuing to ensure passenger safety.

Is it safe to fly amid the government shutdown?

And with this shutdown affecting critical airport workers, some travelers are left wondering, is it safe to fly right now? TSA officers and air traffic controllers are classified as essential workers, which means they are continuing to work even without pay. During previous shutdowns, most of or more of these workers tend to call out sick, contributing then to staff shortages, which can lead to longer lines at airport security as well as delayed flights. And some Americans are also sharing their concerns about whether these shortages impact safety as well. And here to help break this all down is CBS News Money Watch reporter Megan Cerullo. Megan, always a treat to be able to talk to you about these kinds of issues. You've been talking to a lot of experts about this. What do they have to say about the current state of air travel? I know people are always nervous just to begin with. Government officials, aviation safety experts, pilots all say that it remains safe to travel. These folks who are deemed essential are continuing to go to work without pay. Today marked the first day they missed a paycheck. So that adds some stress. But just because the government shutdown does not mean that FAA standards are on hiatus is what one expert said to me. I mean, we're already starting to see some delays, though, play out at airports across the country. What precautions are in place, perhaps, to reduce some of these risks that might be heightened because of a shutdown? Safety is a priority. And Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy did say that if they are experiencing staffing shortages, that might mean that they slow down traffic, which is why travelers might experience some delays at airports. Secretary Duffy said that while usually about 5 percent of delays are attributed to air traffic controller shortages, last week that figure rose to 53 percent. Additionally, pilots who are not federal workers, they work for airlines. They're in communication with air traffic controllers all the time. They are sort of that last line of defense. And they will not take off if it's not safe to take off. And this is all to reassure the flying public that it's safe. And they can even take those delays as a sign that the FAA is making sure the skies remain safe for them to fly. Wise words to heed, for sure. You know, even outside of this, it's not an easy time to be an air traffic controller. And I can only imagine how difficult it is now that they are working without pay. What have you heard about what they're saying, and perhaps morale, for some of these workers? It's a stressful job that requires them to be on all the time. They're charged with monitoring 45,000 flights a day, 3 million passengers. The lowest paid among them only make $45,000 a year. And if they are not getting paid immediately, and they have a mortgage, and they have to cover the cost of groceries, and they have to pick up a side gig, maybe they're thinking about going and driving an Uber after they get off work. After it's such a stressful day already. That adds to the stress they're already experiencing in their roles as air traffic controllers. Megan Cirillo, thank you very much for joining us. We appreciate it. Thanks, Nancy.

President Trump confirmed that he has authorised the CIA to go into Venezuela and conduct covert operations.

Trump says he authorised covert CIA operations in Venezuela

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Tel Aviv-Yafo

Hamas executes Palestinians accused of collaborating with Israel

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Chicago

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Ukraine Invasion

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Caracas

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Antananarivo

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Thousands of messages shared in a group chat of Young Republicans are revealing some racist thoughts that even they worried about being leaked. The exchanges obtained by Politico are part of a Telegram chat among Young Republican leaders in New York, Kansas, Arizona and Vermont. Jason Beeferman, New York state politics reporter for Politico, joins with more.

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Sharm El-Sheikh

Middle East Conflict

Trump, world leaders sign Gaza peace plan and discuss next steps

The government shutdown entered its third week on Monday as the Senate is set to reconvene on Tuesday. CBS News' Nikole Killion has more from Capitol Hill.

Shutdown drags into third week as Senate set to reconvene

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Trump meets with Israeli leaders and hostage families

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Israeli officials have confirmed that all 20 living captives have been released in Gaza.

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Donald Trump to co-host chair Gaza peace summit in Egypt

The French presidency announced Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu's new cabinet line-up on Sunday (October 12), with most top jobs remaining unchanged at a time when opponents are demanding a political shift to win their support for urgent budget talks.

Paris

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China on Sunday (October 12) called U.S. President Donald Trump's latest tariffs on Chinese goods hypocritical and defended its curbs on exports of rare earth elements and equipment, but stopped short of imposing new levies on U.S. products.

Beijing

Global Tariffs

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Afghanistan and Pakistan said they killed dozens of each other's troops during a night of heavy border clashes between the two countries. Afghanistan's Taliban forces launched attacks on Pakistani troops along their shared border in what it called "retaliation for air strikes carried out by the Pakistani army on Kabul".

Chaman

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A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas held in Gaza for a third day ahead of the expected release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners and an address by U.S. President Donald Trump to Israel's parliament.

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Zelenskyy called Trump for a second consecutive day to discuss defence and Ukraine's energy sector. It comes as Russia further intensifies its attacks on Ukraine's critical infrastructure ahead of its harsh winter.

Kyiv

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On Sunday, the minister of armed forces in Madagascar acknowledged an officer selected by a military group supporting demonstrators calling for President Andry Rajoelina to resign as the country's new army chief.

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Taipei City

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In a televised address ahead of the planned release of Israeli captives and Palestinian prisoners, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for unity despite ongoing divisions.

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U.S. President Donald Trump blamed Democrats for his decision to lay off thousands of workers across the U.S. government as he followed through on his threat to cut the federal workforce during the government shutdown.

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Thousands gathered in Tel Aviv as 48 of the last remaining hostages are expected home after two years of the Israel-Hamas war. The crowd cheered Donald Trump as the peace deal's broker but there were jeers for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

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Diane Keaton, the Oscar-winning star of Annie Hall and The Godfather films, died Saturday at the age of 79, according to U.S. media reports. Entertainment journalist Johanna Schneller remembers Keaton as 'feisty and funny'.

Breakdown