Longest US government shutdown ends. What’s next?

CHARLOTTE — The House passed a funding bill to reopen the government, and President Donald Trump later signed the bill to officially end the longest shutdown in U.S. history Wednesday.

The 43-day government shutdown is over. Thousands of furloughed federal workers will return to the job. TSA agents and air traffic controllers will receive back pay, but that doesn’t mean everything will return to normal right away.

Air Travel

As of Thursday morning, there were just under 50 cancellations at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, and that number isn’t set to get any worse now that the government has opened.

The original plan was for cancellations to rise by 2% Thursday and another 2% over the weekend. The USDOT says that is no longer necessary due to many air traffic controllers returning to work.

American Airlines CEO Chris Sununu shared some of the most important news for travelers Wednesday night. He said he expects air travel to be back to normal for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Charlotte travelers in the terminal say their stress levels are definitely down.

“I was worried at first,” one traveler said. “My mother was calling me every day asking if flights were canceled or delayed. Lucky, I kept giving her good news.”

SNAP Benefits

The end of the shutdown also means SNAP benefits will resume, but it’s still not clear how long it will take that money to show up in people’s accounts.

In the meantime, Second Harvest Food Bank will deliver 16,000 meals to local food pantries today. The food bank also has several events planned this weekend to continue supporting families in need.

Healthcare

The bill doesn’t include an extension of the enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, which means health insurance could skyrocket for millions of Americans.

Some Americans fear if Congress votes on changes in the ACA next month, it won’t come in time to lower their premiums for 2026.

VIDEO: Healthcare costs may soar for local families without ACA tax credits