MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — As the government shutdown drags on, now approaching its 40th day, travelers at Myrtle Beach International Airport are facing increasing disruptions. The persistent crisis has led to flights being delayed, cancelled, or rerouted, leaving many passengers exasperated.

“We’re mad. Yeah, we’re definitely mad. Confused, mad, and frustrated,” expressed Thomas Zbranak, a traveler from New Jersey, reflecting the growing discontent among passengers affected by the chaos.

The ripple effects of staffing shortages are being felt nationwide, particularly at major airports. According to FlightAware, a flight tracking service, more than 16,000 flights experienced delays, and 2,000 were cancelled as of Sunday afternoon.

Raleigh-Durham International Airport is among those impacted, with 38 flight delays and 19 cancellations reported by Saturday night. Myrtle Beach is not spared either, with flights like the one to Newark International being nixed, much to the dismay of travelers like Nelson Diaz from New Jersey, who was scheduled to take that journey.

In Myrtle Beach, one of those cancelled flights was to Newark International — a trip New Jersey resident Nelson Diaz was slated to make.

“But departing from here, I became very concerned. Originally, the flight was on time, then it was pushed to a different time and got cancelled,” he said.

He was offered to re-book with Spirit, but not for Sunday.

“My only option is not a direct flight. I got to go from Myrtle Beach to Florida, and then from Florida to head over to a different airport in New York,” he said.

Luckily for Diaz — who was in Myrtle Beach visiting family — pushing off his flight wasn’t an issue. Zbranak didn’t have that luxury.

He has to work on Monday, forcing himself and friends to rent a car and make the 11-hour trip back home.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said things could get even worse if the shutdown drags on into Thanksgiving weekend.

The Federal Aviation Administration last week ordered flight cuts at the nation’s busiest airports as some air traffic controllers, who have gone unpaid for nearly a month, have stopped showing up for work.

The reductions started Friday at 4% and will increase to 10% by Nov. 14. They are in effect from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time and will impact all commercial airline

“As I look two weeks out, as we get closer to Thanksgiving travel, I think what’s going to happen is you’re going to have air travel slow to a trickle as everyone wants to travel to see their families,” Duffy said.

With “very few” controllers working, “you’ll have a few flights taking off and landing” and thousands of cancellations, he said.

“You’re going to have massive disruption. I think a lot of angry Americans. I think we have to be honest about where this is going. It doesn’t get better,” Duffy said. “It gets worse until these air traffic controllers are going to be paid.”

Diaz said he’s worried for those with holiday air travel plans.

“For people that don’t have family or friends they’re visiting, that means now it’s an extra expense to be able to stay at a place,” he said.

Airport officials issued an advisory encouraging passengers to check with their local airlines for updates before traveling.