AP Photo/Anthony Behar/Sipa USA
Delta Air Lines is partially suspending its specialty flight assistance service for members of Congress amid an ongoing standstill in approving funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
The announcement comes in response to the partial government shutdown that began on Feb. 14, leaving TSA officers forced to work without pay. Since it began, more than 400 TSA officers have quit with national callout rates soaring to 10 percent.
As a result, Delta is temporarily suspending its “red coat” high-level concierge services and “courtesy escort” service that allowed lawmakers to skip security lines and move through checkpoints more quickly.
“Due to the impact on resources from the longstanding government shutdown, Delta will temporarily suspend specialty services to members of Congress flying Delta,” a spokesperson for the airline told The Hill. “Next to safety, Delta’s no. 1 priority is taking care of our people and customers, which has become increasingly difficult in the current environment.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Delta Air Lines Capital desk, a reservations line exclusively for members of Congress, is set to remain open.
Travelers currently face hours-long lines at airports with Delta’s largest hub, the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, advising passengers to arrive at least four hours prior to both domestic and international flights.
On March 17, Adam Stahl, Acting Deputy TSA Administrator, warned on Fox & Friends that airports, especially smaller ones, could “quite literally shut down” if Congress cannot come to an agreement to to fund the DHS.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian was among several airline executives who signed an open letter to Congress on March 15, calling on Congress “to move forward on bipartisan proposals that will get federal aviation workers—including TSA officers, U.S. Customs clearance officers at airports and air traffic controllers—paid during shutdowns.”
Nonetheless, the Senate rejected a DHS funding bill for the fifth time on Friday, extending the shutdown.
The post Delta Suspends Major Congressional Travel Perk Amid DHS Funding Chaos first appeared on Mediaite.
