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Three weeks after the beginning of the partial government shutdown, airports and their workers are beginning to experience severe pain.
At least one of the major airports had to temporarily close a lobby due to staffing issues related to the closure. Others open larders to help Transportation Safety Administration employees working without pay.
The Miami International Airport closed one of its halls Saturday for half a day. Airport officials have announced plans to do the same on Sunday and Monday, fearing they will not have enough staff to handle all security checkpoints.
This decision was made after the exceptionally high number of workers declared sick. The number of sick leave has doubled since the start of the closure, officials said in Miami.
This increase is probably related to a national trend according to which TSA employees call sick to protest against the obligation to work without pay during the closure.
The spokesman for Miami International Airport, Greg Chin, said the decision to close some parts of the airport was a "precautionary measure to optimize the workforce" in times of peak, when a large number of cruise passengers leave the city. The 10 to 12 flights concerned will leave from other terminals.
According to statistics released by the TSA, the country's airports are facing a shortage of personnel. On Friday, 5.6% of 51,000 administrative employees did not show up for work, compared to 3.3% of unplanned absences on January 13, 2018.
But the impact of these absences on air traffic and airport security has been hotly debated. After several news outlets published a lot of information about airport security, the US Department of Homeland Security reacted by calling the reports "false news". Officials stated that there were no significant delays or impact on national security.
On Friday, the TSA released data showing that almost all of the 1.96 million passengers who flew on Friday passed security in less than 30 minutes. According to the data, about 95% waited less than 15 minutes.
"Safety standards remain unchanged at our country's airports," TSA spokesman Jim Gregory said in an email. "We thank the public for their continued support and kindness."
Airport officials warn, however, that the situation could worsen if closure is not resolved quickly. Many say that they are developing emergency plans to deal with a shortage of TSA workers, such as closing some security checkpoints or providing temporary additional staff to handle bins or perform other non-safety related tasks.
"Despite the closure, TSA security officers continue to do so. an excellent job of effectively controlling passengers and baggage, "said Christopher Bidwell, senior vice-president of security for the International Council of Northern Airports, an association representing airport owners and operators. "But we are very concerned that the situation of civil servants working without pay is not sustainable."
Although the effects of closure on airport operations do not appear to be widespread at this time, Small airports could be the most vulnerable because even some of the absent TSA employees could create long lines of security.
Some aid groups also work to provide supplies and other necessities to security agents looking for cash.
The Tampa International Airport is working with local partners to create a pantry for the federal authorities. workers from Monday.
"At our airport, we do not yet have operational impacts, as at other airports," said spokeswoman Janet Scherberger. The pantry, she said, would keep people motivated for them to show up.
"We want people to keep coming to work," she said. "We need them to operate the airport.
About 80 TSA workers at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport visited a pantry last week, according to Kathleen Lee, director of services at the White Oak Foundation, who organized the "Raleigh-Durham International Airport." assistance. . Lee added that, in the future, the organization had designated TSA employees two days a week to pick up food "provided it is productive and necessary".
Other airports are looking for ways to support employees, such as bringing in utilities to give workers more flexibility to pay their bills, or to a credit union that could help provide loans.
This is Tampa's goal, where the pantry will also offer bus cards to help employees get to work during the closure.
"It's really an answer to the needs of the people we work with every day and who are not paid, so it's fine to act for the people who are part of the airport family, "said Scherberger.
David, TSA Administrator P. Pekoske also announced Friday that workers who occupied checkpoints on Dec. 22 would be paid for their work that day and would receive a bonus for having worked during the busy holiday season.
"Although I know that this is not what you do." Pekoske tweeted .
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