TSA staffing shortages cause record airport wait times

Air travelers across the country are facing unprecedented delays as the ongoing partial government shutdown continues.

(CNN)-Air travelers across the country are facing unprecedented delays as the ongoing partial government shutdown continues to strain the Transportation Security Administration workforce. Officials say the impact is being felt nationwide, with some of the longest security lines in history.

Ha Nguyen McNeill, Deputy Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration, says many TSA officers are struggling to report to work without pay.

“Major airports are experiencing days where 40 to fifty percent of their staff are calling out because they simply cannot afford to report to work,” McNeill said.

That staffing crisis is leading to severe delays at airport checkpoints. McNeill says some wait times have stretched beyond four and a half hours — the longest ever recorded.

The effects are especially visible at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, where long lines have extended outside terminals and into vehicle lanes. Airport officials reported wait times of around two hours Wednesday, down from more than four hours earlier in the week.

Houston Airports Director of Aviation Jim Szczesniak says operations are being pushed to the brink.

“We typically operate 37 TSA checkpoint lanes. At this point, TSA is only able to staff somewhere between one-third to 50 percent of them. That is not sustainable,” Szczesniak said.

Union leaders are also raising alarms. Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants, echoed those concerns, calling on lawmakers to act.

“This is unsustainable. Flight attendants are saying pay TSA now,” Nelson said.

Behind the delays is a growing financial crisis for TSA workers. McNeill says some employees are facing extreme hardship, including sleeping in their cars, selling plasma, receiving eviction notices, and having utilities shut off.

For officers on the front lines, the toll is both financial and emotional. LaShanda Palmer, a TSA officer at Philadelphia International Airport, described the frustration.

“I feel angry. I feel used. I feel abused. This is not a job. This is a career,” Palmer said. “To know that we’re coming on our third missed paycheck in less than five months.”