More than 1,300 flights delayed, queues up to 2 hours long: TSA crisis sparks nationwide travel chaos as Democratic shutdown continues

TSA Acting Deputy Administrator Adam Starr warned that airports across the country are on the verge of closure amid continued resignations and calls from TSA staff.“It’s not an exaggeration to say that if call rates go up, we may have to close airports, especially smaller airports,” Starr told CNN.Thousands of TSA workers have called in sick every day since the Department of Homeland Security shut down on February 14, causing long lines and thousands of flight delays.FlightAware data showed 1,319 flights in and out of the United States were delayed and another 75 canceled by noon on Saturday.Security lines across the country were as long as two hours, with wait times exceeding 180 minutes at some airports, including Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport. As early as 4:50 a.m., long lines formed at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, with anxious travelers pouring into the parking lot to wait.Flight disruptions were also reported at Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Orlando, Philadelphia and other airports on the east and west coasts.A bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security failed to pass the Senate on Friday, meaning Starr’s prediction may soon come true.“The reality is that if we don’t do anything, things are going to get worse before they get better,” he said.About 10% of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers nationwide were absent from work Thursday, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Some places have absentee rates two to three times higher: 33% at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport and 29% at John F. Kennedy Airport. New York’s JFK International Airport, Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and Baltimore Washington International Airport accounted for 27% and 23% respectively.The House Homeland Security Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on Wednesday to examine the impact of the partial shutdown on the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies within the Department of Homeland Security.Lawmakers are scrambling to find emergency stopgaps, but many are not hopeful.“This is a pox in everyone’s house,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said.If airports are forced to close, smaller airports will be the first to close.“We make these decisions on a case-by-case basis at each airport,” Starr said.The damage could be even more severe as jet fuel prices soar due to the Iran war.United Airlines will cut more unprofitable flights over the next two quarters after fuel prices doubled last month, Chief Executive Scott Kirby said in a staff memo on Friday.He said that if United continues to operate as usual during the crisis, its fuel bill will increase by about 91.3 billion rupees, more than double its “best year ever” profits.