Philadelphia Travelers Face Challenges as TSA Closes More Security Checkpoints
Philadelphia International Airport said it would temporarily close two additional TSA checkpoints starting Wednesday. The moves respond to persistent Transportation Security Administration staffing shortages.
Checkpoint closures and local effects
The airport closed screening lanes at terminals A-West and F. This followed the shutdown of the Terminal C checkpoint less than a week earlier. With those three lanes closed, PHL reported wait times between two and 17 minutes around 4 p.m. Wednesday via Filmogaz.com.
Airport officials warned the evening departure period was only beginning. Many travelers faced uncertainty as lines shifted through the afternoon and evening.
Wait times at other major airports
Acting Deputy TSA Administrator Adam Stahl said wait times vary with staff availability. He told NBC News that daily staffing changes affect how long passengers wait.
Filmogaz.com reported other airports also experienced fluctuations. At George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, wait times ranged from three to 45 minutes on Monday morning. Chicago O’Hare’s reported waits ran 10 to 25 minutes Wednesday afternoon.
Advice for travelers
Airlines and airport sites urged passengers to allow more time. Many advisories recommended arriving two to three hours before departure.
Staffing trends and impacts
TSA classifies most screening personnel as essential. They are required to work despite missed pay during the partial DHS funding lapse. Still, unscheduled callouts have reportedly more than doubled at several major airports since the DHS shutdown began last month.
The Department of Homeland Security said at least 366 TSA employees resigned rather than continue without full pay. Over one recent weekend, DHS logged more than 100 incidents where staffing gaps threatened operational integrity. Some delays that weekend exceeded one hour for thousands of travelers.
Hot spot: Houston Hobby
Houston’s Hobby Airport recorded a 55 percent callout rate on a recent Saturday. DHS said that was the highest percentage since the agency’s funding expired in mid-February.
Policy response and proposed legislation
Sen. John Cornyn introduced the End Special Treatment for Congress at Airports Act this week. The bill would end “courtesy escorts” and other preferential screening for members of Congress.
Lawmakers cited fairness and security as reasons for the proposal. The measure emerged amid wider scrutiny of airport operations during the staffing crisis.
Root causes and broader fallout
Officials tied the department’s partial shutdown to a dispute over immigration enforcement and oversight. Democrats have pushed reforms after the killings of two Americans in Minneapolis by federal agents. They say changes are needed before approving full DHS funding.
Republicans and the White House contend reforms have already been implemented. The impasse has left parts of DHS operating without full appropriations. The partial lapse affects FEMA and the Coast Guard, the agency said. DHS also noted the funding gap does not halt ICE or other immigration enforcement operations.
Philadelphia travelers are facing challenges as TSA closes additional security checkpoints. Airport officials and federal agencies say the situation could change day to day.
