Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials have warned that the disruption unfolding at airports across the US could ‘get worse’ before it finally eases.
Although the US-Iran war is already causing significant travel disruption, a separate issue is also affecting flights: the ongoing funding dispute involving the Department of Security, which shows little sign of being settled soon.
TSA is responsible for screening passengers and baggage nationwide, and reports indicate around 50,000 officers missed a paycheck last week, with many continuing to work despite not being paid.
With Congress locked in a continuing standoff over funding, figures across the travel sector are increasingly anxious about what could happen next.
Ed Bastian, the CEO of Delta Airlines, told CNBC: “It’s inexcusable that our security agents, our frontline agents, that are essential to what we do, are not being paid – and it’s ridiculous to see them being used as political chips.”
He added that he was “outraged” by the shutdown continuing.
At the same time, Adam Stahl, Acting Deputy TSA Administrator, said the situation could ‘get worse before it gets better’.
Bastian continued: “These people missed pay checks just a few months ago. They’re missing pay checks again. It’s outrageous.”
The warning comes after a recent 43-day government shutdown that led to widespread delays, huge lines at airports, and major disruption for travellers across the country.
Bastian, along with other leaders in the industry, had previously signed a letter urging lawmakers to bring the shutdown to an end so airlines could return to operating normally.
The group Airlines for America wrote in a letter: “Americans – who live in your districts and home states – are tired of long lines at airports, travel delays and flight cancellations caused by shutdown after shutdown.
“Yet, once again, air travel is the political football amid another government shutdown. This problem is solvable and there are solutions on the table.”
Stahl also told The Hill that smaller airports are likely to feel the effects most sharply as uncertainty continues.
The acting deputy TSA administrator said: “Small airports may be particularly impacted because they have fewer lanes and they have fewer people, and so, if a certain three or four out of 10 employees call out, we may – to ensure we’re not degrading security – we may have to temporarily suspend operations at those airports.”