Air travel across the United States hit turbulence this weekend after a funding lapse at the Department of Homeland Security left thousands of Transportation Security Administration employees working without pay. Flights were delayed, lines grew longer, and the chaos reminded everyone what happens when Washington can’t pass a budget on time.
Funding for DHS expired early Saturday, triggering a partial shutdown affecting agencies inside the department, including TSA. Under DHS contingency plans, more than 95% of TSA employees are labeled “essential” and must keep working even without pay. Only 2,933 out of 64,130 workers were furloughed. Translation: most officers are stuck protecting airports while Congress plays chicken.
DHS had not confirmed by Sunday whether the full contingency plan was being enforced. Meanwhile, air traffic controllers are still getting paid because they fall under the Federal Aviation Administration, which belongs to the Department of Transportation, not DHS. Different agency, different wallet — lucky them.
TSA leadership warned that the shutdown could strain airport security as unpaid officers face financial pressure. Acting TSA Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill told lawmakers that many officers live paycheck to paycheck and that unpaid work makes it harder to cover rent, groceries, child care, and even gas just to get to work. That reality leads to higher callouts, longer checkpoint waits, and more missed or delayed flights — a domino effect that hits the economy fast.
And the numbers back it up. According to FlightAware, more than 5,100 flights were delayed Saturday and nearly 460 were canceled. By Sunday afternoon, almost 4,700 flights were delayed and over 240 were canceled. The data does not separate TSA-related delays from weather or maintenance issues, but travelers felt the pain regardless.
Even before the shutdown, more than 5,500 flights were delayed Friday, showing the system was already under strain. Industry groups warned that prolonged uncertainty will only make things worse. In a joint statement, the U.S. Travel Association, Airlines for America, and the American Hotel & Lodging Association said last fall’s 43-day shutdown cost the economy $6 billion and disrupted travel for more than 6 million people.
They warned that funding instability damages airlines, hotels, and thousands of small businesses tied to travel and hurts recruitment and modernization efforts. TSA officials echoed that concern, saying the shutdown forces suspension of nonessential services such as hiring and technology upgrades meant to modernize screening.
TSA Chief of Staff Adam Stahl said the agency would pause nonessential services during the shutdown. McNeill also revealed that staffing is already a problem, with about 1,110 officers leaving in October and November — more than 25% higher than the same period last year.
“A shutdown and funding uncertainties have real and measurable impacts on recruitment, retention, and employee morale,” she said.
Once again, working Americans are paying the price for political gridlock. TSA officers show up without pay, travelers miss flights, and businesses lose money — all because Congress can’t do its job on time. The silver lining? Americans are seeing, in real time, why serious leadership and fiscal discipline matter. And when Washington finally gets its act together, maybe we can get back to what airports are supposed to be about: moving people, not excuses.
