Recently, Houston’s airport has experienced extensive security delays, with wait times stretching three to four hours due to the government shutdown. This situation has contributed to exceptionally high rates of TSA absenteeism in the country.
Hobby International Airport led the pack, reporting only 47% of its TSA staff on duty last Saturday, while George Bush Intercontinental Airport had around 42% of its personnel present, as noted by CBS News.
In contrast, other airports have also seen significant drops in staffing; Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans recorded a 34% decrease, Atlanta International Airport noted a 33% decline, and JFK Airport in New York saw approximately 33% of its TSA workforce absent.
A mere 11.5% of TSA staff in the U.S. were available on Saturday, and about 450 employees have resigned since the partial government shutdown began on February 13, according to TSA officials.
This shutdown has left many TSA employees without pay, resulting in a staggering number of no-shows.
The ongoing government impasse continues, as both Democrats and some Republicans refuse to allocate funds for President Trump’s Department of Homeland Security without specific provisions for border security or reforms related to ICE.
The effects are felt harshly by not just the unpaid TSA workers but also the travelers facing lengthy security waits, particularly as Houston’s airport has been increasingly overwhelmed with substantial delays each weekend since last month.
By Monday, Bush Intercontinental had reduced its five security terminals down to just two, with lines weaving through multiple levels and connecting to the airport’s subway system.
By Tuesday, conditions had barely improved, with wait times at Bush Airport surpassing four hours. Fortunately, many other major U.S. airports saw relatively normal wait times, although Newark stood out with a one-hour delay.
The reasons behind Houston’s notably high absenteeism rates remain uncertain, and neither airport responded to inquiries regarding the situation.
The severity of the issue prompted President Trump to authorize the deployment of ICE agents to at least 14 airports to bolster TSA operations. As a result, numerous agents were observed assisting travelers through security lines at airports, including those in Houston, New Orleans, JFK, Atlanta, Newark, and Philadelphia.
