Air traffic controllers, technicians and airport security personnel would continue to work (without pay) in the event of a shutdown, but some Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees would

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) said Wednesday the government shutdown will weaken the country’s airspace system. “When the federal government shuts down it introduces unnecessary distractions and our entire aviation system is weakened,

Many 26,200 of the federal employees in West Virginia would remain on the job but would have to work without pay.

The US government has shut down leading the FAA to furlough 11,322 workers. However, air traffic controllers and safety inspectors will continue to work unpaid.

Partisan spending disputes occasionally shut down parts of the government for a few days or a few weeks. Traditionally, "essential" workers such as military troops or air-traffic controllers are exempt from a shutdown, while visitors to national parks notice custodial workers are "non-essential" and trash piles up.

The shutdown would come during a hectic time for Knoxville's McGhee Tyson Airport and during a busy tourism season for the most-visited national park.

Eight months after the Department of Government Efficiency effort to shrink the federal workforce began, some agencies are hiring workers back — and spending more money than before.

Miami International Airport has obtained $94 million in federal grants from the Federal Aviation Administration to help fund ongoing upgrades. The money will go to two projects. In one, MIA will improve part of a runway that has become crowded, airport CEO Ralph Cutié said Tuesday.