TSA employees at Albany International Airport have faced weeks of missed paychecks since the start of the partial government shutdown in mid-February.
Lori Van Buren/Times Union
ALBANY — Flying out of Albany International Airport any time soon? Airport officials say you probably won’t have to wait very long at security checkpoints.
Transportation Security Administration officers at the airport have worked without pay for over one month amid a partial government shutdown that has left airports nationwide jammed with long lines due to short staffing at security checkpoints. But in Albany, the airport has so far been largely spared from major staffing issues.
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“We’ve been very fortunate,” said airport spokesperson Matt Hunter. “They’ve continued to report to work with pride and professionalism every day.”
The partial government shutdown began on Feb. 14 when President Donald Trump and Congress failed to pass the legislation necessary to fund the Department of Homeland Security through September, affecting agencies under the DHS umbrella such as the TSA.
It’s left the 200 total TSA employees at Albany International Airport with weeks of missed paychecks. Hunter said Friday that the unscheduled absentee rate among its TSA workers was approaching 5%, which is up roughly 1% from before the shutdown began. Though the callouts have not yet impacted security checkpoint wait times, Hunter said, some travelers have been arriving up to three hours before their scheduled departure time.
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“We’ve heard from a growing number of travelers who said they arrived earlier than usual because of headlines about long wait times around the country,” Hunter said. “As a result, the crowds at our checkpoint seem to be more dispersed when we hit peak travel times throughout the day, which is helping with efficiency.”
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Similar early arrivals have been seen at other airports, though the impact has been different: at Ohio’s John Glenn International Airport, early-bird travelers have created bottlenecks during peak travel times, prompting airport officials to ask travelers to arrive later, according to the Associated Press.
The partial government shutdown has resulted in travel delays at other airports across the nation, where TSA officer callouts have hit around 40% some days. This includes airports in Houston, New Orleans and Atlanta, where security lines have stretched out the door at times, according to the Associated Press.
In addition to callouts, more than 460 TSA officers nationwide have quit since the partial shutdown began, Ha Nguyen McNeill, the acting administrator of the TSA, said at an oversight hearing on Wednesday. At Albany International, Hunter said that since the start of the shutdown, one TSA officer left their job for another position at the airport.
“Shutdowns and funding uncertainties have real and measurable impacts on recruitment, retention and employee morale,” Nguyen McNeill said. “TSA employees are dedicated public servants that want to continue to keep the traveling public safe and secure, but they are running out of options to keep a roof over their head and put food on the table.”
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At the Albany airport, TSA officers have received food aid from the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York and numerous other local agencies, businesses and public officials, Hunter said. Last week, the Regional Food Bank provided a week’s worth of food for all 200 TSA officers at Albany International and plans to distribute food again next week, Hunter said.
Nguyen McNeill said the partial shutdown may force TSA to consider closing some airports experiencing inadequate TSA staff numbers until funding resumes. According to the Associated Press, Nguyen McNeill said Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel have been deployed to some airports to help manage long lines, check travel documents and instruct passengers on how to load their bins. Trump has also suggested deploying the National Guard to assist with airport security.
Hunter said federal officials have not planned to deploy ICE agents at Albany International.
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Last year, TSA officers nationwide, including at Albany, grappled with no pay during the 43-day government shutdown in October and November. As a result, around 1,110 TSA officers quit, Nguyen McNeill said.
An end to the partial government shutdown may be on the horizon. Early Friday, the Senate approved DHS funds to pay TSA officers and most other agencies. But by that afternoon, House Republicans had rejected the Senate-passed bill, according to the Associated Press. Shortly after, Trump signed an executive order to pay TSA employees with other funds until DHS funding is restored.