ATLANTA - Airline passengers traveling through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport continue to face significant delays as a TSA staffing shortage tied to a partial government shutdown strains operations.
What we know:
Officials said it has taken travelers up to two hours to get through security in recent days. Since Feb. 14, tens of thousands of Transportation Security Administration officers have been working without pay as Congress remains at an impasse over Department of Homeland Security funding. On Tuesday, airport leaders said about 34% of TSA workers have called out.
As of 9:15 a.m. Wednesday, wait times were about 53 minutes at the main checkpoint and 36 minutes at the north checkpoint. The lower north checkpoint was closed, while the south checkpoint was operating as a TSA PreCheck-only lane with a wait of about 26 minutes. The international checkpoint had a wait of about 13 minutes.
Flight disruptions were also mounting, with about 120 delays and 58 cancellations reported, according to FlightAware.
Compounding the issue, airport officials said some traffic lanes are closing due to construction on a new south terminal parking deck, which is also impacting shuttle service. Travelers are urged to allow extra time for drop-offs and pickups.
MOST RECENT STORIES
- Atlanta international terminal swamped amid TSA staffing shortage
- TSA union leaders at Hartsfield-Jackson speak out on shutdown impacts
- Security issues lead to disarray at Atlanta airport on Tuesday
- Storms, TSA staffing crisis create 'major travel headaches' at Hartsfield-Jackson
- More than 1.3K delays, 450+ cancellations at Atlanta airport Monday