Wait times at major airports expected to double

(CBS News) Government officials say longer-than-usual wait times at customs are the result of a new ban on overtime for customs officers.

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano was asked Monday how passengers would be affected.

"If you're traveling, get to the airport earlier than you otherwise would," she told reporters. "There's only so much we can do with personnel, and please don't yell at the customs officers or the TSA officers."

In fact, the TSA, or Transportation Security Administration, which screens passengers at security checkpoints, has not yet been affected by budget cuts.

That is expected to change in the coming weeks when the TSA plans to freeze hiring and cut overtime, nearly doubling wait times at major airports during peak travel times -- including spring break and summer. Normally, officers working overtime ease the crush, but when the budget cuts kick in, that will end.

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Even during non-peak times, TSA warns the wait at the security checkpoint will be 30 minutes or more.

Air traffic control budget cuts will also affect passengers. The Federal Aviation Administration plans to furlough all 15,000 controllers at least one day every two weeks.

At Chicago's O'Hare Airport, that could force the smaller of two control towers to close indefinitely, resulting in delays and cancellations.

Dan Carrico

/ CBS News

"If we don't have the controllers looking at the airplanes making sure they're separated, those airplanes aren't going to be in the air," says air traffic controller Dan Carrico, who is the union representative at O'Hare. "You're looking at approximately 44 to 45 minutes of delay per aircraft that flies into O'Hare."

More than 200 small airports across the nation plan to do away with traffic controllers entirely, meaning pilots would have to coordinate take-offs and landings among themselves.

[californiadreaming1]

The TSA has gotten bulkier and more "in our face" than ever. If you cut back a budget by 2-3% and still cannot make ends meet, then somethings is really wrong. This should NOT visibly affect screening. Spend 2-3% LESS time screening passengers.

f the TSA were catching terrorists every day - it would be one thing. But (from what I understand) the TSA has never stopped a credible terrorist threat since they were put into place years ago. Not one! But yes, they have had their share of patting down 3 and 4 year old children and 75+ year old ladies.

Talk about government melodrama!

[cranialdisturbance]

The President should start looking at the body fat content of TSA screeners. Half of them seem to border on morbidly obese. Is there a minimum weight limit for getting a TSA job? Why not get Michelle Obama to get the husky screeners moving and eating nothing but vegetables? They could save 2% by lowering their healthcare costs.

[cranialdisturbance]

The TSA spent $50 million on new uniforms just hours before the sequester went into effect and now they are broke? Travel delays are just a thinly-veiled effort by the regime to punish tax payers for wanting to keep more of THEIR money.

[waldopal]

The reason for TSA, Homeland Security and our changed way of life is terrorists attacks against the US. The main reason for terrorists attacks are our support of Israel and troops in the middle-East(ME). Our interest in the ME use to be oil and Israel but oil is now controlled by Saudia Arabia, home and banker of al-Qaeda and a sever Islamic religious state. Our oil companies have also lost out in Iraq to Russia and China.
Instead of blindly backing Israel, we should have stressed our values and prompted Israel to make peace. Even if we pull out of the ME in 2014 there is Israel

[Beaner96]

What the hell is obama thinking? Cut the benefits to the generational welfare abusers first! Transportation and defense should be the last things to feel his sequester!

"The needs of the many out weigh the needs of the few!"

Mr. Spock

[Gatorkcbode]

I flew last month out of two major airports during peak hours, and it took me no longer then 20 minutes to get through TSA, and there were at least 25-30 TSA agents standing around talking to one another, doing completely nothing. If some airports are under staffed, which I am sure there are, then cut backs need to be made at appropriate places, and hire only where needed. The government needs to stop trying the to scare people into spending more money.

[BBould]

Scare tactics by this administration. If 200 Towers were closed the FAA would have a surplus of controllers. Also the reasons why these towers would close has very little to do with the FAA and more to do with the city the tower is in. If the FAA can't staff fully staff the towers then the city still has he option to hire contract controllers to staff the facilty and then the FAA would have extra controllers.

[h4xit]

You obviously have no idea what you're talking about. 164 towers are being either closed or are losing their midnight shifts. The towers being closed are all contract towers, and only 20% of those controllers could start working with the FAA due to age. So no, they won't have extra controllers

[ganguandaland]

When a business cannot cut 2% without affecting essential services, it was a poorly run business to begin with.

[john92021]

just politics to get more money out of the peasants. Only thing we can do is stop flying and let the airlines throw a fit at the white-house. Not going to happen but I for one won't be flying anywhere.

[Ketwhat]

Is it true that two lawyers, one from New York and one from Los Angeles, have stared a class action suit on behalf of foreign visitors, illegal aliens, and other non-US citizens who use American carriers and airports? Supposedly the filing will be brought before the United Nations General Assembly at the next session for ratification and referral to the UN's International Criminal Court and the International Justice Council for prosecution of Secretary Napolitano and President Obama for human rights violations.

Can someone confirm that, please?