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ATLANTA — Travelers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport are experiencing severe delays as lengthy security queues continue to disrupt plans amid the ongoing partial government shutdown.
The root of the issue lies in staffing shortages within the Transportation Security Administration. Airport officials have noted that at times, up to one-third of TSA personnel have been absent, causing wait times to balloon as the shutdown enters its fifth week.
Some passengers report waiting over an hour, with lines sprawling all the way to baggage claim areas.
“I’ve been standing here for about 30 minutes,” remarked Wyatt Blum, a traveler heading to Boston. “When I got here, the estimated wait time was around 15 minutes, but it’s now jumped to about 75 minutes.”
At the airport’s North Terminal, the wait times at the primary security checkpoint have averaged 75 minutes. Consequently, many travelers are taking precautions by arriving significantly earlier than usual, some as early as five hours before their flights.
“I’m five hours early because I knew the line was going to be long,” said Yee Ying, who was traveling to San Jose. “I didn’t expect it to be this long, but I’m glad I got here early.”
The delays are not limited to domestic terminals. Officials say the international terminal is also experiencing bottlenecks due to increased passenger volume and limited staffing.
Travelers say the uncertainty is adding stress to their journeys.
“We got here several hours before our flight, and we’re still stuck in line,” said Denise Valetta, who was traveling to Florida. “I’m hoping we still make our flight.”
Airport leaders are urging passengers to arrive at least three hours before departure to account for the delays.
The staffing issues are tied to the ongoing partial government shutdown, which began February 14 after lawmakers failed to reach a funding agreement for the Department of Homeland Security.
As a result, many TSA officers have been working without pay for weeks.
Data shows about 10 percent of TSA workers nationwide have called out sick, with even higher impacts reported in Atlanta. Officials say roughly 300 TSA officers at the airport have quit during the shutdown.
Additionally, many TSA PreCheck and CLEAR lanes are either closed or operating with minimal staff. Travelers report that even when those lanes are open, passengers must often wait in the general security line before splitting off closer to the checkpoint.