ATLANTA — As the stalemate in Washington puts the country on the verge of a government shutdown, air travelers remember the impact of the partial shutdown nearly five years ago.
At Hartsfield Jackson International Airport, the stress-free line at the main security checkpoint comes thanks to federal employees. But now, with the shutdown looming, those workers and the airline passengers face uncertainty.
“There’s always a concern with security checkpoints,” Jake Smith, a traveler, said. “Is it going to make the lines longer? Do I need to get here three hours early instead of four hours early?”
For the world's busiest airport, this could be a flashback. It felt the pain at security checkpoints during a 35-day partial government shutdown that began right before Christmas of 2018.
TSA agents continued to work even though they weren’t paid. But as the shutdown lingered, sick calls increased. At one point, up to 10% of the TSA agents nationwide were calling out, causing lines at Hartsfield Jackson’s security checkpoints to grow to over an hour.
Another shutdown could bring the same result.
“Absenteeism can go up,” Laurie Garrow, an air travel expert at Georgia Institute of Technology, said. “So that means in terms of TSA agents, you might have longer lines at the airports. If air traffic controllers are not showing up to work, that can cause delays throughout the national system.”
Garrow said if there’s a shutdown, the impact will depend on how long it lasts. There’s a chance it could affect the holiday travel season.
“The FAA, for instance, has hired more than 1500 new air traffic controllers this year,” Garrow said. “They need training in order to be able to get on the job. If we have a government shutdown, that training will get stalled or delayed.”
A spokesperson for Hartsfield-Jackson said airport officials are monitoring the situation.
“During similar events in the past, we collaborated with our partners to ensure federal employees who are required to with deferred pay are provided the resources necessary to maintain their well-being,” Andrew Goebil, an airport spokesperson, said. “We expect to do the same if needed this year.”
A shutdown could impact travel demand. A U.S. Travel Association poll found that 60% of Americans would avoid or cancel their travel plans if there’s a shutdown.