Airports from Houston to Atlanta reported security-checkpoint waits of up to 3½ hours on Sunday 8 March as Transportation Security Administration (TSA) absenteeism surged during the 24-day Department of Homeland Security funding lapse. Houston Hobby warned travellers to arrive “at least three hours before departure,” while New Orleans urged passengers to expect delays all week. Roughly 50,000 TSA officers are currently working without pay; the agency confirmed that unscheduled absences ran 120 percent above normal on Sunday. Airlines for America said the queues triggered widespread flight delays and missed connections at the start of peak spring-break season, with carriers projecting 171 million passengers over the next two months—a record. For employers the shutdown is a two-fold headache: longer employee transit times and uncertainty over Global Entry enrolment, because CBP’s trusted-traveller offices are operating on skeleton staff. Mobility managers should build in additional layover buffers and consider premium interline protection where available. If Congress fails to restore funding before 13 March—when screeners receive their first zero pay-checks—unions warn that sick-outs could escalate, potentially prompting airport authorities to close checkpoints and force airlines to cancel flights. Companies with critical travel itineraries should prepare contingency rerouting via secondary airports where queues remain shorter. Travel policy experts recommend proactive communication: notify travellers of expected delays, encourage mobile boarding passes to skip kiosk lines, and remind employees that TSA PreCheck lanes may also see extended waits as staffing shortages deepen.
Source: Reuters
