Travel industry warns of rising airport strain amid partial shutdown
Are they actually going to vote on something real?
The travel industry is warning that airports could face growing strain and longer security lines as a partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security stretches into the start of the busy spring break season.
Airlines and travel trade groups say the funding lapse is raising concerns about staffing levels at security checkpoints and the risk of operational disruptions if the shutdown drags on, as roughly 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers work without pay. Nearly all TSA officers are classified as essential employees, marking the second time in four months they have faced a missed paycheck during a shutdown despite working throughout.
Travel experts say the operational risk may not surface immediately, but rather weeks into a prolonged funding lapse.
“We don’t have a crystal ball,” said Katy Nastro, a travel expert at Going, in an interview with the Washington Examiner. “But historically, once you hit that three- to four-week threshold without pay, that’s when absenteeism starts to occur, and the financial strain really weighs on essential workers.”
TSA officers are expected to receive one more paycheck before mid-March. After that, Nastro said, the pressure typically intensifies as workers who live paycheck to paycheck begin feeling the strain. “That’s really the timeline we’ve seen in the past,” she said.
DHS entered a partial shutdown Saturday after negotiations collapsed between congressional Democrats and the Trump administration over oversight of federal immigration officers. Talks showed no movement over the holiday weekend, and lawmakers left Washington for recess, though congressional leaders say they are prepared to return if an agreement is reached.
In a joint statement, U.S. Travel, Airlines for America, and the American Hotel & Lodging Association warned that unpaid TSA personnel increase the risk of staffing shortages and passenger delays.
“Travelers and the U.S. economy cannot afford to have essential TSA personnel working without pay, which increases the risk of unscheduled absences and call outs, and ultimately can lead to higher wait times and missed or delayed flights,” the groups wrote. They added that funding uncertainty damages the broader travel ecosystem and undermines recruitment, retention, and preparedness efforts across the industry.
The organizations pointed to last year’s 43-day shutdown, which they said resulted in an estimated $6 billion economic impact and disrupted travel for more than 6 …
Are they actually going to vote on something real?
The travel industry is warning that airports could face growing strain and longer security lines as a partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security stretches into the start of the busy spring break season.
Airlines and travel trade groups say the funding lapse is raising concerns about staffing levels at security checkpoints and the risk of operational disruptions if the shutdown drags on, as roughly 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers work without pay. Nearly all TSA officers are classified as essential employees, marking the second time in four months they have faced a missed paycheck during a shutdown despite working throughout.
Travel experts say the operational risk may not surface immediately, but rather weeks into a prolonged funding lapse.
“We don’t have a crystal ball,” said Katy Nastro, a travel expert at Going, in an interview with the Washington Examiner. “But historically, once you hit that three- to four-week threshold without pay, that’s when absenteeism starts to occur, and the financial strain really weighs on essential workers.”
TSA officers are expected to receive one more paycheck before mid-March. After that, Nastro said, the pressure typically intensifies as workers who live paycheck to paycheck begin feeling the strain. “That’s really the timeline we’ve seen in the past,” she said.
DHS entered a partial shutdown Saturday after negotiations collapsed between congressional Democrats and the Trump administration over oversight of federal immigration officers. Talks showed no movement over the holiday weekend, and lawmakers left Washington for recess, though congressional leaders say they are prepared to return if an agreement is reached.
In a joint statement, U.S. Travel, Airlines for America, and the American Hotel & Lodging Association warned that unpaid TSA personnel increase the risk of staffing shortages and passenger delays.
“Travelers and the U.S. economy cannot afford to have essential TSA personnel working without pay, which increases the risk of unscheduled absences and call outs, and ultimately can lead to higher wait times and missed or delayed flights,” the groups wrote. They added that funding uncertainty damages the broader travel ecosystem and undermines recruitment, retention, and preparedness efforts across the industry.
The organizations pointed to last year’s 43-day shutdown, which they said resulted in an estimated $6 billion economic impact and disrupted travel for more than 6 …
Travel industry warns of rising airport strain amid partial shutdown
Are they actually going to vote on something real?
The travel industry is warning that airports could face growing strain and longer security lines as a partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security stretches into the start of the busy spring break season.
Airlines and travel trade groups say the funding lapse is raising concerns about staffing levels at security checkpoints and the risk of operational disruptions if the shutdown drags on, as roughly 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers work without pay. Nearly all TSA officers are classified as essential employees, marking the second time in four months they have faced a missed paycheck during a shutdown despite working throughout.
Travel experts say the operational risk may not surface immediately, but rather weeks into a prolonged funding lapse.
“We don’t have a crystal ball,” said Katy Nastro, a travel expert at Going, in an interview with the Washington Examiner. “But historically, once you hit that three- to four-week threshold without pay, that’s when absenteeism starts to occur, and the financial strain really weighs on essential workers.”
TSA officers are expected to receive one more paycheck before mid-March. After that, Nastro said, the pressure typically intensifies as workers who live paycheck to paycheck begin feeling the strain. “That’s really the timeline we’ve seen in the past,” she said.
DHS entered a partial shutdown Saturday after negotiations collapsed between congressional Democrats and the Trump administration over oversight of federal immigration officers. Talks showed no movement over the holiday weekend, and lawmakers left Washington for recess, though congressional leaders say they are prepared to return if an agreement is reached.
In a joint statement, U.S. Travel, Airlines for America, and the American Hotel & Lodging Association warned that unpaid TSA personnel increase the risk of staffing shortages and passenger delays.
“Travelers and the U.S. economy cannot afford to have essential TSA personnel working without pay, which increases the risk of unscheduled absences and call outs, and ultimately can lead to higher wait times and missed or delayed flights,” the groups wrote. They added that funding uncertainty damages the broader travel ecosystem and undermines recruitment, retention, and preparedness efforts across the industry.
The organizations pointed to last year’s 43-day shutdown, which they said resulted in an estimated $6 billion economic impact and disrupted travel for more than 6 …
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