The government shutdown may be close to end, but the spike in flight delays and cancellations is expected to continue — at least for a little while.

Already this week, airlines started to cut 6% of their flights at 40 major airports, including at Newark Liberty International Airport. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said it was a difficult weekend, but it’s gotten better as the week goes on.

“Saturday, Sunday, Monday. Very rough travel days. Significant cancellations and significant delays,” Duffy said. “However, today has been a much better day. A lot more air traffic controllers are coming in … For comparison, on Saturday we had 81 staffing triggers. Today, we have four.”

“Our air traffic controllers are seeing an end to the shutdown and feel more hopeful,” Duffy continued. “And they are coming into their facilities. We are grateful to them for all that they’re doing.”

On Wednesday at Newark Airport, stranded passengers each had their stories to share.

“We were scheduled to return from Disney Sunday morning,” said Samantha Liriano, a Lodi resident. “And after seven cancellations, we get to the airport around 6 p.m., and we’re on the plane, checked bags and everything.”

Then, Liriano continued, “They had us come off the plane, wait three hours to rebook. No accommodation for a hotel, no food, we have two babies. And it was canceled until Wednesday, this morning, 8 a.m. We didn’t have laundry, we didn’t have clothing and the temperature dropped. It was crazy.”

Stacy Lyons of Bloomfield had her own near-misses.

“Flight was delayed four hours, [and] we were excited because we thought we were going to get on,” said Lyons. “As we were sitting on the plane about to take off, the pilot had to cancel the flight”

Randy Babbitt, former FAA administrator, said it’s still going to take some time to dig out of the backlog created by all the canceled flights.

“They have to get a lot of people back in position,” Babbitt said. “The air traffic control facilities and the employees, getting back and getting schedules squared away. And the airlines are going to have their own component of this to get their crews ready. I would say conservatively, at least a week before you get anywhere close to a full, normal return to operation.”

Even when all air traffic control operators do return to work, experts say the entire system is still about 2,000 controllers short of where it needs to be.

With Thanksgiving only two weeks away, there’s a chance the delays could affect holiday travel. Jillian Young, director of public relations for AAA Northeast, advises travelers to be as flexible as possible and avoid the highest traffic days.

“Those busiest days are going to be the Tuesday and Wednesday before [Thanksgiving] and the Sunday after,” said Young.

“So, we’re telling folks, if you can get out of town the weekend before Thanksgiving, the Monday before Thanksgiving, and then head back either on Black Friday or wait until that following week, you might be able to avoid some of the busiest times,” she said.