Airports Expected to Close Completely if Government Shutdown Continues

Travelers across the country have been dealing with massive security line delays at airports throughout the United States amid the partial government shutdown impacting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and, in turn, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

The TSA has been struggling with staffing shortages at its security checkpoints, with workers calling out or quitting altogether as a result of missing paychecks. This obviously has led to long lines and major delays at airports. Now, as the shutdown stretches on, it sounds like some airports may be forced to close altogether.

Security Lines Are Hours Long

While TSA employees are ultimately paid once a government shutdown ends, they're still expected to show up and work without pay until an agreement is reached. So a long shutdown like this one can wear on TSA workers, with some employees forced to pick up secondary jobs to make ends meet, creating the staffing gaps now rippling through the system.

Those staffing shortages have led to extended wait times at airport security checkpoints nationwide. Some airports have already seen lines stretching beyond three hours, sparking a warning from the DHS as travelers face the possibility of missed flights.

“Travelers are facing TSA lines of up to nearly three hours long at some major airports, causing missed flights and massive delays during peak travel,” the DHS said in a statement.

These issues have been exacerbated in recent weeks as some TSA workers have quit altogether.

Airports Expected to Close if Shutdown Continues

As the government shutdown continues and the staffing shortages get worse, Acting Deputy TSA Administrator Adam Stahl has warned that airports across the country could be forced to close down entirely if the government shutdown stretches further than it already has.

"As the weeks continue, if this continues, it's not hyperbole to suggest that we may have to quite literally shut down airports - particularly smaller ​ones if callout rates go up," Stahl ​told Fox News' "Fox and Friends," via Reuters.

It's not clear which airports are most at risk for closure, but as Stahl indicated, smaller airports will likely face issues first. Large airports may be able to continue operations by closing ‌all ⁠but a few checkpoints at the airport. Small airports with a single checkpoint, however, could be unable to staff the checkpoint consistently amid the staffing shortages.

House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday said airports "are reaching a breaking point."

The CEOs of the major airlines in the United States have called on Congress to reach a deal to fund DHS. In an open letter, the CEOs accused Congress of using air travel as “political football,” and claimed that the problem is solvable as long as Congress is willing to work together.