Security lines at BWI Marshall Airport stretched out of the concourse and outside Thursday morning as thousands of travelers felt the effects of the partial government shutdown.
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BWI TSA agents call out sick, security lines stretch outside terminal
Security lines at BWI Marshall Airport stretched out of the concourse and outside Thursday morning as thousands of travelers felt the effects of the partial government shutdown.
Transportation Security Administration agents have gone without pay for more than a month, and more are calling out, saying they cannot afford to work without a paycheck.
At one point, Security Checkpoint B was closed for several hours due to staffing shortages. It reopened around 7 a.m., but by then, a line longer than a football field had formed along the busy Southwest ticketing concourse.
Passengers who would normally use checkpoints B and C were funneled into a single location — Checkpoint C — creating significant backups.
Traveler Thomas Stewart arrived several hours ahead of his 6:55 a.m. flight. Just before 6 a.m., he was still in line, hoping to make it to his gate.
Stewart has both TSA PreCheck and Clear, but said neither service was operating for part of the morning due to staffing issues.
“It’s unfortunate, but it’s the reality of what we’re living in,” he said. “I’ll probably miss my flight and have to find an alternative. Under normal circumstances, I can clear security in five to 10 minutes. Today, it looks like it’s going to be an hour and a half.”
During the peak of the morning rush, Southwest Airlines employees brought carts of bottled water into the crowded concourse, handing them out to passengers waiting in line.
“Water here! Water here!” one employee shouted while moving through the crowd.
Airport officials say three of the four security checkpoints — B, C and D/E — were open at times, while Checkpoint A remained closed intermittently.
“Airport personnel and the airlines are assisting passengers,” said BWI Marshall spokesman Jonathan Dean. “The security issues are not affecting flight operations. This is a TSA matter.”
Airport officials warned that wait times could fluctuate throughout the day, but advised travelers to arrive at least three hours before their flights.
Traveler Jerome Leblond said he arrived early and sympathizes with TSA workers.
“These guys are not getting paid,” he said. “I’m here at least three hours early. It looks like everybody else is too. You can’t do much more than that — they’ve closed the priority lanes, so you’re waiting like everyone else.”
Earlier this week, reports indicated that roughly 28% of TSA officers at BWI did not report to work Tuesday.
