Britons issued US travel warning as Government shutdown continues - with no end in sight

Now, British citizens have been urged to travel with care.

Four million Britons flew stateside last year, and hundreds of thousands of UK-US trips may already have taken place under the shutdown.

The Foreign Office said in an alert on Thursday that travel disruption, flight delays and longer queue times at some airports could strike as a result of the chaos.

"Check for messaging from your travel provider or airline and follow their guidance," it added.

"There may also be restrictions on access to some federally-managed tourist attractions. Please check the relevant websites in advance."

Just days ago, already-overworked air traffic controllers spoke out on a genuine risk of plane crashes due to the shutdown.

More than 14,000 controllers employed by the Federal Aviation Administration will not be paid until the shutdown ends.

One from South Carolina told the New York Post: "Sometimes that small moment where your mind is elsewhere can have serious impacts... Controllers were already underwater with pay and staffing before the shutdown. Now we're drowning."

Concerns are also rising ahead of October 13's Columbus Day holiday weekend, the first major travel period since October 1 - which could see Britons and Americans alike travel across the Atlantic to see family and friends.

This is set to fall at the same time as the peak corporate travel season, with US Travel Association boss Geoff Freeman bemoaning how the industry is already struggling to reach its full potential.

"If we introduce concern into the system - concern about delays, concern about cancellations, concern about TSA being less efficient - we're leading people to stay in the office," Mr Freeman said.

He added that this creates "another reason for people to stay home, whether it's Americans staying home or foreign travellers avoiding the United States".

The US is the only travel market expected to see a decline in spending by foreign tourists in 2025.

And with no end to the shutdown yet in sight, this could plummet further.

Transport Secretary Sean Duffy went on to issue a desperate plea to ATC staff this week.

"In a job that’s already stressful, this shutdown has put way more stress on our controllers… we ask them to do their jobs on old equipment and keep our airports operational," Mr Duffy said.

However, he counselled that if the staff pressures reach tipping point, he will act to "reduce the flow" of air traffic.

"If we have additional sick calls, we will reduce the flow consistent with a rate that's safe for the American people," he said.

As well as air travel, national parks are affected - as the FCDO alert points out.

On day one of the shutdown, 23-year-old climber Balin Miller fell to his death in California's Yosemite National Park - amid closed visitor centres and limited emergency callouts thanks to the funding cut-off.