"It's inexcusable that our security agents, our frontline agents, that are essential to what we do, are not being paid, and it's ridiculous to see them being used as political chips."
"Thanks in part to staffing issues, airlines canceled more than 1,000 flights Tuesday and delayed 4,200 others, PBS News reported citing flight-tracking website FlightAware. Long security lines also accumulated at major U.S. airports such as Delta's main hub Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport, where travelers were encouraged to arrive three hours before their scheduled departure time."
"The letter cited a poll by data-science company AlphaROC earlier in March, which found 93% of Americans support paying agents from the Transportation Security Agency who ensure airport security during shutdowns."
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed outrage over TSA agents working without pay during a partial government shutdown extending into its fifth week, calling the situation inexcusable and criticizing Washington representatives for using security personnel as political leverage. The staffing shortage caused significant operational disruptions, with airlines canceling over 1,000 flights and delaying 4,200 others on Tuesday alone. Major airports experienced extended security lines, requiring travelers to arrive three hours early. Bastian joined CEOs from American, Southwest, and JetBlue in signing a letter urging Congress to pass bipartisan proposals ensuring payment for TSA agents, customs officers, and air traffic controllers. A poll showed 93% of Americans support compensating TSA agents during shutdowns. The disruptions compound existing challenges from the Iran conflict and severe weather.
#government-shutdown #tsa-staffing-crisis #airline-operations #congressional-action #airport-security
Read at Fortune
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]