Could the federal shutdown delay your flight to (or from) DFW Airport?
Travelers flying in and out of DFW Airport or Dallas Love Field need to prepare for long security lines — especially on return flights.
On Monday, the security checkpoints at both DFW and Love Field were moving as normal, with no more than 15-30-minute waits, according to My TSA, a mobile phone app operated by the Transportation Security Administration.
But other airports across the United States weren’t doing as well.
Federal workers at airports across the country were calling in sick in large numbers, causing longer than usual lines in cities such as Atlanta, Houston and Miami. Officials blamed the federal shutdown, which has now stretched into its fourth week and has caused hundreds of thousands of workers to miss their paychecks.
Houston had to close its checkpoint at that airport’s Terminal B, causing travelers to use other checkpoints to get to their flights, airport spokesman Bill Begley said.
“Right now, Terminal B security is closed, and we are using the other six checkpoints to process,” Begley said in an email. “We are directing B passengers to check in and go through screening at Terminals C and E. Don’t know how long this will be the case. We are assessing and adjusting as needed. The B checkpoint generally clears about 2,300 outbound passengers per day, Bush Airport as whole clears around 35,000 outbound passengers through TSA lines per day.”
Nationwide, TSA reported that 7.6 percent of workers were absent. That’s more than double the normal number of unexpected absences.
But TSA and a union representing TSA workers downplayed the impact on travelers, reporting that TSA screened 1.97 million passengers Sunday and 99.1 percent waited less than 30 minutes.
“These women and men signed up to serve their country, and they do a remarkable job keeping us safe — even when they’re not being compensated to do so,” J. David Cox Sr., president of the American Federation of Government Employees, said in a statement. “It’s a shame because TSA Officers are already some of the lowest paid officers in the federal workforce, have the least amount of rights of almost any federal employee, and now they’re being asked to put their lives on the line without knowing when they’ll get their paycheck.”
In Atlanta, travelers on social media reported waits of 90 minutes or more Monday.
“So I’m at @ATLairport, and this may be the longest security line I have ever seen. Even growing up here, and even for a Monday morning,” CNN reporter Omar Jimenez reported on his Twitter feed. “One passenger told me he’d been waiting over an hour and still had about 30 minutes to go.”
DFW Airport has 14 security checkpoints at its five passenger terminals, as well as five TSA Pre-Check entries for pre-screened travelers. Since the airport opened in 1974, it has been known as a place where it is relatively easy to park close to your flight and get through security quickly.
Dallas Love Field has a consolidated security entrance and, although during heavy travel periods the lines can be long, the wait time is typically less than 20 minutes, according to ifly.com.
Some other airports also were bracing for weather-related delays Monday.
“Today, Washington-Dulles International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport are exercising contingency plans due to callouts related to a snow event and anticipated high-volume, respectively,” the release stated. “Travelers should contact their airline before traveling as times may be affected.”
Staff Writer Bill Hanna contributed to this report.
This story was originally published January 14, 2019 at 12:13 PM.
