The partial shutdown of the federal government has left Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) workers without paychecks. The government agency has about 47,000 Transportation Security Officers who provide airport security. More and more of these workers have decided not to show up at work because they are not being paid.
The decline in the number of TSA agents has started to snarl the passenger’s lines at some of America’s largest airports, threatening the ability of airlines to operate at peak capacity.
At some point, it could be difficult for them to operate at all at some airports. The largest U.S. airports account for nearly a third of all U.S. passengers (the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, calls these “enplanements”) and would be hardest hit by sharp drops in TSA security officers.
Making matters worse, Bloomberg News reported Tuesday TSA officers are calling in sick at twice the normal rate forcing some large airports to consolidate their security lanes, which lengthens lines and makes for unhappy passengers. A union official told Bloomberg that TSA risks losing employees by continuing to ask them to work without pay.
If the security officers do quit and find other jobs, filling those positions during the shutdown likely would be nearly impossible. If the shutdown ends with a significant loss in security officers, ramping up hiring will take time and lead to more traveler dissatisfaction.
If the 10 largest airports in the United States cannot operate, it threatens locations that account for almost 300 million passengers a year. These are the 10 busiest U.S. airports according to the FAA:
| Airport | City | CY17 Enplanements |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International | Atlanta | 50,251,962 |
| 2. Los Angeles International | Los Angeles | 41,232,416 |
| 3. Chicago O’Hare International | Chicago | 38,593,028 |
| 4. Dallas-Fort Worth International | Fort Worth | 31,816,933 |
| 5. Denver International | Denver | 29,809,091 |
| 6. John F Kennedy International | New York | 29,533,154 |
| 7. San Francisco International | San Francisco | 26,900,016 |
| 8. McCarran International | Las Vegas | 23,364,185 |
| 9. Seattle-Tacoma International | Seattle | 22,639,120 |
| 10. Charlotte/Douglas International | Charlotte | 22,011,225 |
Source: Federal Aviation Administration
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