Airport delays possible during government shutdown. Is your Louisville flight on time? Find out

As the federal government shutdown lingers on, passengers at major airports across the country might start to worry if it could impact their travel plans.

Federal air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers are considered "essential," meaning these federal employees are expected to keep working despite not receiving a paycheck. They're supposed to get back-pay once the shutdown is lifted.

A logo of low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines is pictured on an Airbus plane in Colomiers near Toulouse, France, November 6, 2018.

Impacts on air travel have been negligible so far.

How is the shutdown affecting air travel?

USA TODAY journalists who traveled over the weekend reported that lines at TSA checkpoints were normal at multiple airports. Data from FlightAware showed just 32 flight cancellations nationwide on Saturday and 70 on Sunday.

Still, the longer the shutdown drags on, the more likely disruptions become.

Some airports seeing 'increased number of sick calls'

In a press conference at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey on Oct. 6, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said some air traffic control facilities were already seeing increased numbers of sick calls.

Duffy, however, added that the absences were isolated, and the agency is prepared to slow air traffic as needed to meet controller staffing levels.

"One facility one day, another facility another day, some areas have seen a 50% reduction in some of the staffing," Duffy said. "We take the appropriate action to make sure our skies are safe ... If we see those issues in the tower that are affecting controllers' ability to effectively control the airspace, we'll reduce the rate, and you can see more delays or you can see a cancellation."

Check your flight status at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport

Travelers to Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport can check their flight status online for both arrivals and departures at the airport's official website.

Contributing: Josh Rivera and Eve Chen, USA TODAY. Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. John Tufts covers trending news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Reach Marina Johnson at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Airport delays possible during government shutdown. Is your Louisville flight on time? Find out