Baltimore airport travelers still impacted by long security lines, as TSA call-out rates hit 29%
Travelers at BWI Airport dealt with long security wait times again Friday morning as TSA shortages continue to impact operations at airports across the country.
The partial government shutdown has forced TSA workers to go 42 days without pay as of Friday. Many have called out sick while others have quit.
At BWI, call-out rates for TSA agents reached an average of 29.1% per day, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
At one point on Thursday, travelers said the security line was long, but moved quickly. It was still a 30 to 60 minute wait. BWI is advising travelers to arrive at the airport 3 hours before their scheduled flights.
"Oh no, it's going to take forever," said traveler Ashley Wright. "I was making sure I was in the right line, because it was going on forever, but it went really quickly. Honestly, politicians work it out, so we can move on with our lives."
People said on Sunday that they waited hours to reach their gates and worried they would miss their flights.
In a statement, DHS told WJZ that nearly 500 TSA officers have quit during the shutdown, and thousands more are calling off work.
"This reckless shutdown has driven nearly 500 TSA officers to quit, while thousands more are forced to call out because they can't afford gas, childcare, food, or rent," said Lauren Bis, Acting Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at DHS.
This week, President Trump started deploying U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to the airports to help out with the TSA shortages.
BWI Airport wait times
At 11:30 a.m., officials said the security lines had normalized, and there were no significant waits. The checkpoint lines got heavier as the day continued.
BWI officials said checkpoint lines can fluctuate throughout the day, and travelers are still encouraged to arrive early.
"It actually has not been nearly as crazy as I walked in. We have like two hours for our flight," said traveler David Adams. "I walked in and there was that sinking feeling in my stomach. I'm with my daughter, like, 'Oh my gosh, we're definitely not gonna make our flight,' but we've actually been moving fairly well. I'm holding out hope that we're hopefully gonna make it down to Florida tonight for some fun spring break."
Around 8 a.m., BWI Airport officials warned that security checkpoint A is closed while three others — security checkpoints B, C, and D/E — remain open.
"Airport and airline personnel are offering information and assistance to travelers," BWI officials said in a statement. "In some cases, the airlines are rebooking customers in the lines."
The airport has suspended its online wait time estimation feature.
Partial government shutdown
The partial government shutdown, which has been affecting the DHS, has also caused long security wait times at airports across the U.S.
At Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport, 36% of TSA officers called out of work on Wednesday amid frozen paychecks, prompting extremely long security lines. As of Thursday at 9 a.m., maximum wait times were around three hours.
On Wednesday, a potential deal that would end the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown stalled. On Thursday, Trump said he will sign an executive order to pay TSA agents.
TSA officials said the agency will reach nearly $1 billion in missed paychecks if the shutdown continues into Friday.
On Thursday, TSA officials said the agency may have to consolidate security lines and close smaller airports due to the lack of staffing.
On Tuesday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were deployed to 14 airports across the U.S. to assist with overcrowded security checkpoints. ICE agents have not been deployed to BWI Airport.
