JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Today marks day 38 of the partial government shutdown, after the Senate failed to reach a consensus on DHS funding. That means that TSA workers, air traffic controllers, and other federal employees have gone over a month without a paycheck.
Action News Jax has been reporting on staffing issues since the last government shutdown in October, which ended up being the longest in history at 43 days.
We spoke with travelers at Jacksonville International Airport who said they haven’t run into any issues there—but airport hubs like Atlanta or Houston are a different story.
Yesterday, our sister station in Atlanta, WSBTV, reported travelers waiting in TSA lines for up to nine hours.
For now, it seems TSA lines and flight delays are entirely dependent on the airport.
Our consumer advisor, Clark Howard, says if you’re stuck in a “forever line,” download the airline’s app.
“Airlines don’t want people to get discouraged and stop booking travel, which has been a worry the last week,” Howard said. ”So airlines have been doing a better job than normal at working with people trying to accommodate their replacement travel plans.”
Howard says that once the government fully reopens, it’ll likely take a few days for the longer lines to evaporate. In the meantime, remember to pack your patience before your flight.
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