TSA and FAA still working as shutdown continues (for now)

As the government shutdown drags into a second calendar week, travelers may start to worry about how it will impact their airport plans.

Transportation Security Administration officers and Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controllers are considered essential employees, which means they're supposed to work without pay during the shutdown, with promises of receiving back-pay from the government once funding is restored.

Impacts on air travel have been negligible so far.

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.