Good News! The Government Shutdown Is Over — When Will SNAP Benefits and Air Travel Return?

The longest government shutdown in U.S. history has ended.

Federal services will be restored gradually.

SNAP and flights will take several days to fully normalize.

The House of Representatives approved the end of the longest government shutdown on record, although full recovery of services will take time.

Federal employees will return to their posts, but back pay, food benefits, educational programs, and air traffic operations still face delays.

Although entire sectors will advance under different conditions, the priority is restoring critical operations, including assistance programs like SNAP and normalizing flights before key travel dates. As part of the government shutdown reopening, agencies are beginning to reestablish essential services.

Reopening After the Government Shutdown: Federal Payments Normalize

Furloughed workers will receive retroactive pay, usually within a week.

The Department of Transportation noted that air traffic controllers could receive 70% of their back pay within 24 to 48 hours, according to the New York Times.

However, agencies with accumulated vacancies may take longer to process payroll.

Retroactive pay may arrive in a single check, which could create tax adjustments for some employees when filing their annual returns.

SNAP Food Benefits: When They Will Return to Normal

A White House spokesperson confirmed that SNAP food benefits will be fully restored just hours after the government shutdown reopening.

This program is essential for 42 million people in the country.

The rapid reactivation will allow families to regain access to benefits frozen during the shutdown.

A gradual process is also expected for the reopening of Head Start, where 20 programs in 17 states and Puerto Rico were forced to close temporarily, affecting more than 9,000 children. Reopening could take up to two weeks.

Impact on the Latino Community

Dozens of Latino communities rely on SNAP food benefits to meet basic food needs.

The immediate restoration of the program reduces the risk of food insecurity and prevents interruptions in food purchases.

In terms of transportation, thousands of Hispanic families travel to visit relatives in other cities or countries.

The disruption of flights during the shutdown affected family plans, work, and personal commitments.

Government Reopening and Air Travel: What to Expect

Industry representatives estimate that air travel will take about a week to stabilize.

The Department of Transportation must verify that controllers return in sufficient numbers and lift the 6% restriction on flights currently in place at 40 airports.

The expectation is that flights will be fully normalized before the Thanksgiving travel period, supported by the broader government shutdown reopening efforts.

What Comes Next

Federal agencies will resume services, process back payments, and set reopening schedules for museums and educational programs.

In the coming days, SNAP will once again operate at full capacity, and the air travel sector will move toward normalizing routes and schedules.

The gradual reopening after the end of the government shutdown will make it possible to measure how quickly key sectors recover after six weeks of disruption.