Flight delay data is already flashing red as the government shutdown drags on. Will your holiday air travel be affected?

• Holiday travelers should expect flight and airport delays if the shutdown drags on. • Data shows disruptions are mounting as air traffic controllers work their second month without pay. • Industry watchers said safety could be at risk if the system is stretched too thin.

It's starting to look like the lingering government shutdown could scramble holiday air travel plans.

Delays at airports recently spiked, and government officials and transportation watchers alike warn we could be on the precipice of a wider slowdown.

Staffing shortages have been ricocheting through the system, affecting air traffic control, where employees have been working without pay for a month, and airport security lines, where TSA workers are also working without pay.

And the impact hasn't been limited to t