WINDSOR LOCKS - On Friday, airports across the country were dealing with a wave of delays because of short staffing.
A full ground stop was even called at La Guardia Airport Friday morning and things are just getting back to normal as the government shutdown finally ended.
Rick and Katie Ciervo were seen coming out of the arrivals gate at Bradley International Airport after flying back from Detroit.
The couple said they were initially nervous after seeing what happened at La Guardia and being told their flight would be delayed as well.
Before the deal was reached, the Ciervo's said they found ways to show their appreciation to the TSA workers by buying them donuts.
"They were so thrilled. Everyone was great about it. Every time, we thanked them anytime we could so they were really good," said Rick Ciervo of New Britain.
"I think really relieved for all the TSA employees. They’ve shown up every day. We’ve thanked them going out, we’ve thanked them coming back," said Katie Ciervo of New Britain.
Luckily, Bradley was never impacted, but the Connecticut Airport Authority released a statement to FOX 61 before a deal was reached and they said:
"While there is currently no operational impact at Bradley International Airport due to the government shutdown, sooner or later there might be.
The shutdown needs to be brought to conclusion."
"I do know many people within my business as well as personal friends and family who had been affected with long delays and up to two and three day layovers because they can’t get a flight and get back where they need to be," said Eric Vasselli of San Diego, California.
Chris Scofield works for Bradley and he called himself a technician, but his responsibilities outweigh his job title. He works on the control tower and fixes communication equipment.
Since the shutdown, Scofield said he has taken up more hours at his part-time job as a Zamboni driver.
"I’ve been working there 30-35 hours a week. Before the shutdown, maybe 15 to 20 kind of just on the weekends a couple days," said Chris Scofield, Airport Airway Transportation System Specialist.
According to a tweet put out on the La Guardia Twitter page, they said as of Friday night, they were still experiencing delays of over one hour for arrivals and departures.