The top official at the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced on Wednesday (local time) that airports across the country are witnessing the highest wait times on record as the partial government shutdown continues.
According to a US Today report, during the 43-day government shutdown last year, the department saw a 25 percent increase in officer departures compared to the same period the previous year, TSA Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill said during a House Homeland Security hearing in which lawmakers discussed the shutdown’s impact.
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Disruption of the airport due to the current shutdown
The official said the ongoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown is severely disrupting airports across the country as TSA employee absenteeism spikes and labor shortages deepen.
TSA is losing more than 480 employees, official says
TSA Administrator McNeill told lawmakers that the agency has lost more than 480 officers so far during the shutdown, adding that both call rates and passenger wait times continue to rise.
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He said, “Several airports are experiencing days where 40-50 percent of their employees are calling off because they simply cannot afford to report to work,” adding, “This has led to the highest wait times in TSA history, with some wait times exceeding 4.5 hours.”
A smaller airport may need to be closed: McNeill
The TSA administrator went on to say that the agency is being forced to consolidate lanes and hinted at the possibility of closing operations at smaller airports if they don’t have enough officers. McNeill reached out to travelers and asked for their patience and understanding as TSA officers continue to work as hard as possible.
Absenteeism among TSA workers highest: DHS
Absenteeism among TSA workers increased over the weekend, reaching the highest level since the shutdown began five weeks ago, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The agency said more than a third of TSA employees at airports in Houston, New York City and Atlanta were either absent or called in sick.
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The world’s busiest airport is five hours away
Earlier this week, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta issued a travel advisory recommending that travelers arrive at the airport at least four hours before their flight. A similar advisory was later issued by John F. Kennedy Airport in New York.
According to The New York Post, on March 22, the busiest airport in the world in terms of passenger traffic, Atlanta International Airport, witnessed security lines stretching up to five hours. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has hinted that the situation at the nation’s airports could worsen further if TSA workers miss their second payday, which is expected on Friday.
Media reports say the delays are due to TSA workers continuing to work without pay despite a DHS funding cutoff, a situation that has led to reduced airport staffing and strained airport operations.
DHS has been shut down since February 14th
DHS has been partially shut down since Feb. 14 after Senate Democrats blocked a funding bill while pushing for broader changes to immigration enforcement, including ICE-related policies, The New York Post reports.
Since the funding collapse, delays at TSA checkpoints have worsened considerably. At major airports like LaGuardia, passengers faced wait times of more than three hours, largely due to understaffing.
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Along with the wave of resignations, absenteeism also skyrocketed. Acting TSA Deputy Administrator Adam Stahl noted that the call-out rate has jumped from about 2% before the shutdown to more than 10%. He added that if the situation continues, some smaller airports may have to suspend operations altogether.
