UPDATE: TSA to pay officers 'immediately' as airport security lines mount
Editor's Note
- TSA to pay officers "immediately"
- Funding bill to end shutdown in limbo on Capitol Hill
- Travelers could still see long security lines this weekend
The Transportation Security Administration has "immediately" begun the process of paying workers, the Trump administration said Friday afternoon — and TSA officers could see paychecks in their bank accounts as soon as Monday.
The move came as lawmakers on Capitol Hill remained deadlocked on legislation to fully reopen the government, and as travelers continued to face major backups at airport security checkpoints.
TSA workers missed another paycheck on Friday as the shutdown of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security approached the six-week mark.
Officer call-outs have surged in recent weeks, leading to the highest wait times in the TSA's nearly 25-year history, the agency's top leader told Congress this week.
At Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), the de facto epicenter of the recent travel chaos, backups stretched up to three and a half hours Friday.
Elsewhere, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) advised passengers to arrive at the terminal three hours before departure amid the spring break rush.
There had been momentum on Capitol Hill toward ending the partial government shutdown, which began on Feb. 14.
Early Friday, the U.S. Senate broke a weekslong stalemate and voted to fund most of the DHS, including the TSA. But the measure appeared to face an uphill climb in the House.
President Donald Trump on Friday afternoon said he had ordered DHS to "immediately pay" workers, saying air travel had reached a "breaking point."
Airlines and leaders across the travel sector had praised the move when Trump first announced the plans Thursday evening.
In a statement to TPG Friday afternoon, a DHS spokesperson confirmed the department had already begun the process of paying its workforce.
Will TSA lines get back to normal?
Still uncertain, though, is how quickly airport security checkpoints could return to normal wait times.
One reason for optimism: After last fall's larger federal shutdown finally ended after 43 days, call-outs among air traffic controllers immediately lessened — and flight operations rapidly improved.
Will TSA operations snap back to normal in the same way?
Travelers, airlines and lawmakers alike can hope. However, it's important to keep in mind that TSA officers have now endured not one — but two — 40-plus-day shutdowns since October, going without paychecks during both stretches.
So it's certainly possible it could take some time for TSA checkpoint operations to return fully to pre-shutdown wait times.
For now, if you're headed to the airport this weekend — especially Friday or Sunday — I'd continue to prepare for longer lines than normal. Here's a rundown of my top tips for getting through security during this unpredictable stretch.
Airlines issue travel waivers
As of late Thursday night, Delta Air Lines had flexible travel waivers in place for customers at ATL and New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). United Airlines had done the same for its IAH hub.
And, as TPG reported earlier this week, budget carrier Allegiant Air had granted customers significant flexibility to change their tickets during the shutdown.
TSA app remains unreliable
Also, keep in mind that the TSA's app, which typically shows live checkpoint wait times, will likely remain unreliable, since it's not updated regularly during a federal shutdown.
Your best bet before heading to the airport: Continue checking your airport's website and social media feeds to see whether it offers a wait-time tracker of its own.
Bottom line
Even beyond this federal shutdown — which, by the way, still technically isn't over — longer-term concerns remain at airports. Already, some 480 TSA officers have left their jobs since this latest partial federal shutdown began, acting TSA Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill testified this week on Capitol Hill.
And considering it takes months to train new hires, she noted this could pose a major problem ahead of one of the century's biggest sporting events in the U.S. this summer.
"This is a dire situation," McNeill said. "We are facing a potential perfect storm of severe staffing shortages and an influx of millions of passengers at our airports for the World Cup games in less than 80 days."
This is a developing story. Check back for further updates.
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