TSA Plays Down Concern on Safety, Says Next Week Could Be Key
TSA Plays Down Concern on Safety, Says Next Week Could Be Key
(Bloomberg) -- Transportation Security Administration officials played down concerns the government shutdown poses a threat to safety at major airports but warned that the second half of next week could be crucial if workers don’t get paid.
Hundreds of TSA screeners continue to call in sick from work as the closure enters its third week. If government resumes funding by Thursday, the 51,739 TSA employees supporting airport security will be paid the following day.
“We’re scheduled to be paid on Friday. If we go past midweek missing a pay period, that certainly changes the environment,” said Michael Bilello, a TSA spokesman.
Nationwide, the call-ins haven’t had much of an effect on operations, he and other officials said. As of Saturday morning, the maximum TSA wait time was 36 minutes, and the maximum PreCheck wait time was 17 minutes, both within TSA standards of 45 and 15 minutes, respectively.
For JFK airport on Friday, the maximum wait time was 21 minutes and the maximum PreCheck wait was 4 minutes. At Dallas-Fort Worth International, the wait time was slightly longer than in New York but still within TSA standards. Over 90 percent of passengers waited less than 15 minutes, Mr. Bilello said.
An average of 25 TSA employees call in sick per shift at DFW. The normal call-in rate is 3.5 percent, and yesterday it increased to 5.5 percent, according to TSA. For security reasons, the agency doesn’t release specific staffing numbers.
The Airports Council International, a trade body for the world’s airport authorities, expressed concerns about how the shutdown is dragging on.
“A prolonged government shutdown could potentially impact security and wait times at airports, as Transportation Security Officers seek other employment,” said Christopher Bidwell, senior vice president for security.
To contact the reporter on this story: Hailey Waller in New York at hwaller@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: James Ludden at jludden@bloomberg.net, Ian Fisher
©2019 Bloomberg L.P.