Airports seeing spike in shutdown impacts as TSA screeners and air traffic controllers call out

U.S. travelers are increasingly facing long lines and flight delays as the government shutdown approaches record length, with absences spiking among employees being asked to work without pay. 

Air traffic controllers and airport security screeners missed full paychecks last week but continue to work during the shutdown, like around 600,000 federal employees across government whose jobs have been deemed necessary to protect life and property. More of those workers have opted to call out as they pursue other ways to make ends meet, creating operational pressures on key agencies. 

The Federal Aviation Administration said the number of callouts surged over the weekend and “strained staffing levels at multiple facilities,” which led to widespread impacts across the national airspace system. Half of the nation’s “Core 30” airports were experiencing a shortage of air traffic controllers, including 80% in the New York area.  

“After 31 days without pay, air traffic controllers are under immense stress and fatigue,” FAA said. “The shutdown must end so that these controllers receive the pay they’ve earned and travelers can avoid further disruptions and delays.”

By Monday, some of the concern had abated, though staffing issues had triggered delays in Philadelphia, Jacksonville, Austin and Washington. 

Transportation Department Secretary Sean Duffy has repeatedly suggested the national airspace is less safe as many employees are working side jobs to support their families or are otherwise distracted while they continue to show up as air traffic controllers. FAA will “stop traffic” before an emergency situation unfolds, Duffy told Face the Nation on Sunday, but in the meantime it was likely for there to be “rolling delays” throughout the system. He has encouraged all controllers to report to work, but said he understood they were facing difficult choices. 

“They're confronted with a decision: do I put food on my kids' table, do I put gas in the car, do I pay my rent or do I go to work and not get paid?” Duffy said. “They're making decisions.”

Duffy noted on Monday that in the day prior, 84% of flight delays were due to staffing issues. 

In the 2018-2019 shutdown, a significant uptick in air traffic controller and Transportation Security Administration screener staffing shortages helped spur the end of the standoff. That shutdown lasted a record-setting 35 days, a mark the current impasse will hit on Tuesday. 

The TSA callout rate hit 10% just before the shutdown ended in 2019, more than three times the normal rate. A spokesperson for the agency said it did not have similar data available, but some airports have cited unscheduled absences for longer-than-usual lines. 

“The federal government shutdown has impacted TSA staffing and operations nationwide, and Houston Airports is doing everything possible to support our TSA partners and keep passengers moving safely and efficiently,” said Jim Szczesniak, director of aviation for the airport group. He added that passengers should arrive early and “expect extended security wait times” until the government reopens. 

Wait times for TSA screenings in Houston have extended to three hours, House-based Chron.com reported on Monday. Across the country, the impacts are so far minimal and the average wait time on Sunday was just five minutes. The TSA spokesperson highlighted that operations largely remain smooth, but acknowledged that “occasional delays” are expected as a result of the shutdown. 

“The longer the shutdown goes on, the more severe the impact on our TSA workforce who have expenses they must pay for, making it harder to show up for work when not being paid,” the spokesperson said. “We kindly ask for the public’s patience and understanding as our officers are forced to work unpaid at this time.”

The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents TSA employees, has called on Congress to pass the House-backed short-term spending bill that would reopen government through Nov. 21. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association on Friday issued a similar plea for Congress to pass a “clean” continuing resolution. NATCA has implored its members to continue showing up to work and stressed it did not condone any collective call out action.