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US Airport Security Delays Soar Amid TSA Staffing Shortages
(MENAFN) Passengers at several major airports across the United States are encountering unprecedented security wait times as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) struggles with severe staffing shortages amid a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown, the agency’s acting chief told lawmakers Wednesday.
Acting TSA Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill reported that absenteeism among Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) has risen dramatically, with some airports seeing as many as 40% to 50% of screeners calling out.
“Because they simply cannot afford to report to work,” McNeill explained, noting that prior to the shutdown, the call-out rate was around 4%.
The shortage of personnel has compelled airports to reduce the number of active screening lanes, resulting in delays that in some cases surpass four and a half hours—the longest in TSA history, she said.
McNeill cautioned that smaller airports might face temporary closures if staffing levels do not improve, describing the situation as “fluid, challenging and unpredictable.”
The ongoing DHS shutdown has left thousands of federal employees, including TSA officers, without pay, intensifying operational pressures throughout the country’s aviation network.
Hundreds of TSA officers have already resigned, and thousands more have called out during the funding impasse, further worsening delays at the nation’s busiest airports.
Acting TSA Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill reported that absenteeism among Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) has risen dramatically, with some airports seeing as many as 40% to 50% of screeners calling out.
“Because they simply cannot afford to report to work,” McNeill explained, noting that prior to the shutdown, the call-out rate was around 4%.
The shortage of personnel has compelled airports to reduce the number of active screening lanes, resulting in delays that in some cases surpass four and a half hours—the longest in TSA history, she said.
McNeill cautioned that smaller airports might face temporary closures if staffing levels do not improve, describing the situation as “fluid, challenging and unpredictable.”
The ongoing DHS shutdown has left thousands of federal employees, including TSA officers, without pay, intensifying operational pressures throughout the country’s aviation network.
Hundreds of TSA officers have already resigned, and thousands more have called out during the funding impasse, further worsening delays at the nation’s busiest airports.
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