U.S. airports are seeing longer security lines and delayed flights as a perfect storm of TSA staffing shortages and weather events affects air travel, more than a month into the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.
Dozens of airports are experiencing delays on departing and inbound flights across the United States as the partial government shutdown stretches into its fifth week. At the time of publication, over 7,300 flights were delayed in the country, and more than 2,100 were canceled, according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware. Tens of thousands of flights were delayed over the weekend as well, as weather alerts affected the country and tornado warnings hit Washington, D.C.
Transportation Security Administration staffing shortages amid the shutdown have also hit air travelers hard, as security lines wrap around corners at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and with terminals closing at Philadelphia International Airport.
As TSA workers miss their first full paychecks, callout rates have spiked across airports nationwide. Houston Hobby International Airport recorded a 55% callout rate among TSA workers on Saturday and has maintained an over 50% rate in the days since, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
“It’s not hyperbole to suggest that we may have to quite literally shut down airports, particularly smaller ones, if callout rates go up and a lot of these officers can’t afford to come in,” acting Deputy TSA Administrator Adam Stahl said Tuesday morning.
The Atlanta and Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport have also yielded high TSA callout rates, with 36% of TSA workers not showing up to the Atlanta airport on Tuesday, according to CNN. Images have circulated on social media showing long security lines at airports across the country, as wait times have fluctuated from multiple hours to less than 30 minutes.
Since the beginning of the shutdown, 366 transportation security officers have left the agency, according to DHS.
In Philadelphia, due to staffing shortages, the airport has announced the temporary closure of security checkpoints in three different terminals during the shutdown. The airport recommends that travelers arrive 2 1/2 hours before domestic flights and 3 1/2 hours before international flights.
AIRPORT SECURITY STRAINS AND TSA LINES GROW AS CONGRESS SHOWS LITTLE URGENCY TO END DHS SHUTDOWN
“We appreciate your patience as we work with TSA and our airline partners to keep operations running smoothly and efficiently for all travelers,” the Philadelphia airport wrote on X.
The White House sent its latest department funding proposal to Congress on Tuesday afternoon. The proposal included a provision requiring immigration enforcement officers to self-identify when confronted while conducting immigration enforcement, something Democrats have been adamant about.
