Travel to the US could come to a standstill as air traffic controllers discuss abandoning their workstations after the United States government goes into shut down.

The US government shut down much of its operations on Wednesday as partisan divisions prevented Congress and the White House from reaching a funding deal, setting off what could be a long, gruelling standoff that could lead to the loss of thousands of federal jobs.

Government shutdowns affect all federal services in the United States, the employees of which are bankrolled by the government.

Those deemed to be providing a non-essential service are placed on leave without pay – or furloughed.

Essential workers are expected to continue working without pay, including social security, immigration, and postal workers.

Crucially

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