SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — A partial government shutdown is creating air travel chaos for some cities across the nation due to serious TSA staffing issues.
TSA is a government agency, meaning its employees are currently working without pay.
Today in Spokane, things were running smoothly at the airport. While Spokane International Airport saw a rush around 5 a.m., security lines quickly died down afterward.
Passengers say they had little worries about local travel, but expressed concerns about their flights to destination cities where delays might occur.
According to an ABC news report, the shutdown n has led to a record number of TSA officer callouts, and hundreds quitting their positions.
There have been reports of ICE agents deployed at airports experiencing TSA staffing shortages to help manage security operations. However, a spokesperson with Spokane International Airport says that is not the case locally.
Travel experts are offering several tips for navigating air travel during the shutdown:
Check your departure and destination airport websites directly for the most current informationFor Spokane travelers, visit spokaneairports.netUse ifly.com as an additional airport guide resourceArrive 15 to 20 minutes earlier than your typical scheduleConsider enrolling in TSA PreCheck or Global Entry for faster security screening
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