With the ongoing partial government shutdown, airports across the country have begun to experience delays. With TSA working unpaid for over a month, CBS reports that nearly 12% of the 50,000 TSA officers called out sick on Sunday. Additionally, WMUR cites the DHS for stating that over 400 TSA agents have quit.
For travelers, the repercussions have reared their heads during general security lines. At George Bush Intercontinental in Houston, the longest passengers had to endure was six hours. Wait times fluctuate because of the volatile staffing from day to day. Calling out or quitting has not been uncommon since the shutdown began earlier this year.
Some airports have suspended reporting their wait times altogether. John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia, and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall have all temporarily suspended TSA wait trackers. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport replaced its tracker with a warning to travelers that they should allow for four hours of leeway, per The New York Times.