NORFOLK, Va. — While flight reductions are underway at 40 of the nation’s busiest airports , Norfolk International Airport (ORF) isn’t on that list, and so far, flights are running smoothly, for the time being.

However, even though travelers in Hampton Roads haven’t seen major disruptions yet, the ongoing government shutdown is creating challenges for the people who keep planes moving safely.

Chris Jones, a spokesperson for Norfolk International Airport, said many of the workers helping operations run -- including air traffic controllers, Transportation Security Administration officers, and customs agents -- aren’t employed by the airport authority itself. They’re federal employees, meaning they haven’t been paid in weeks.

“So the workers that are here are not employed by the airport

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