dailynewsnblog
Airlines and airports across the United States of America are continuing to face operational disruption this week. This is because, even with the weekend’s adverse weather having now subsided, the country’s air hubs are having to contend with security staff shortages due to TSA officers being made to work without pay amid the ongoing partial government shutdown. This has prompted a boom in staff not reporting for work this week.
The problems are impacting airports of all sizes, and, while major hubs have seen their fair share of absences, Reuters reports that, according to US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, there is a risk that smaller facilities may even have to shut down altogether if the shortages continue. Such airports provide vital regional connectivity to smaller and more remote communities across the US, so keeping them running is a high priority.
Absences Are Up Fivefold, With Some Airports Hit Harder Than Others
Reuters reports that, every day this week, around 10% of the approximately 50,000 TSA staff who keep passengers and crew at America’s airports safe and secure have not been showing up for work. With the Transportation Security Administration being a government agency (as part of the Department of Homeland Security), its officers are federal employees, meaning that, in the event of a shutdown, they are obliged to work without pay.
However, understandable dissatisfaction with this situation, as well as the simple need to earn money elsewhere, has led to increased absences among TSA staff this week, with the 10% figure being five times higher than normal. Some hubs are seeing even higher rates: Wednesday reportedly saw 
New York JFK Airport missing 25% of its TSA staff, with 38% absent in Houston (IAH). On this front, the US Travel Association said that:
“TSA officers, travel businesses, and the flying public cannot afford another day, let alone several weeks or months, of long wait times and increased stress on our nation’s aviation security.”
The above quotation from the US Travel Association, a nonprofit advocacy group representing those who work in the American travel sector, was part of a wider open letter published yesterday. In this document, which was signed by six pages’ worth of national and regional companies, the US Travel Association urged “Congress to take immediate action to pay TSA officers and protect the frontline workers who safeguard our aviation system.”
In particular, the group’s President and CEO, Geoff Freeman, was keen to highlight the fact that there is a considerable degree of hypocrisy wrapped up in the current situation. Specifically, he asserted that “members of Congress continue to be paid and move to the front of security lines while TSOs work for free and travelers wait for hours. That is unacceptable.” Freeman even went as far as to say that Congress is “gambling with aviation safety.”
Shortages at TSA checkpoints in airports located all over the United States are causing congestion, resulting in hours of waiting for passengers and placing additional strain on an already stretched workforce that is currently having to go without pay. The US Travel Association, whose website now has a live clock showing how long TSA workers have gone without pay, concludes that “the security of travelers and the country is at stake.”
Major US Airlines CEOs Urge Congress To End DHS Shutdown
As the government shutdown drags on, TSA officers are left without pay, leading to a surge in absences and long lines at airports across the US.
The Situation Threatens To Derail A Big Year For Travel In The US
As last year’s disruption proved, there is no good time for a government shutdown to disrupt commercial aviation operations in the United States of America. In 2025, the government was closed for 43 days, with airlines such as Delta expecting nine-figure losses due to the operational impact. However, the US Travel Association says that this year, in particular, would be a particularly catastrophic time for there to be long-term disruption.
Indeed, the group was keen to highlight the fact that “the 2026 FIFA World Cup and America250 [are] just a few short months away” in its open letter, adding that 2026 “should be a historic year for travel.” As such, it will be hoping for a swift resolution to the ongoing situation, with TSA officers paid sooner, not later.
