The 14 January has brought a new dimension to the "shutdown as a result of the tug-of-war between President Trump and the Democrat-majority House of Representatives on the financing of the famous "wall" on the border with Mexico. The deadlock over this funding remains total, leading to the federal government closures whose operating budgets are no longer guaranteed.
For travellers to the United States, one of the first visible consequences was the closure of national parks and federal museums at Washington. But since Monday, the "shutdown" has taken a more dramatic turn by affecting the security services at american airports. Safety is guaranteed by the federal government through the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). But since Monday, these agents have not been paid, and as a result, many have been called in sick. Out of 51,000 employees, the TSA reported on Monday a absenteeism rate of 7.6% compared with 3.2% for the same period last year.
For travellers, this means considerably longer queues to pass through airport security checks, and sometimes chaotic situations in airport terminals. To compensate for the absence of TSA employees, the agency has decided to consolidate passenger screening points. Some passages are closed, and passengers have to go where the agents are working. This meant even longer waiting times. The worst happened atAtlanta airport where the average wait reached 14 January 88 minutes according to TSA statistics, compared with an average of 30 minutes under normal circumstances. For passengers who have paid for an express security check, the waiting time has increased from 10 minutes to 55 minutes... The situation was also tense on many other fronts hubs. Security checks at Houston Intercontinental, Dallas Fort Worth, Miami or Washington Dulles was severely affected by the partial closure of the security queues in certain terminals in order to redirect passengers to the screening queues that were still operational.
Airlines and travel agents are therefore suggesting that passengers arrive earlier at airports. " This "shutdown" is likely to increase waiting times at federally staffed points of contact in airports, including security queues, customs checks and runways, which could affect airline take-off and landing times.warn those in charge of BCD Travel. Travellers are therefore advised to allow extra time to check in at the airport and to pass through security checks. Travellers are also advised to try to avoid flights with connections that are too close together. "say TMC's directors.
But that's not the only problem suddenly facing the US airline industry. The authorisations normally granted by the FAA - the Swiss Federal Civil Aviation Authority - for the bringing new aircraft into service as well as for new overhead lines are no longer. So Southwest Airlines had to delay the launch of new routes to Hawaii, while Delta Air Lines is considering postponing the launch of its brand new Airbus A220 for lack of authorisation.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian estimated that the shutdown would probably cost the company 25 million in revenuenot only because of these internal difficulties but also because some travellers are starting to cancel their trips due to the uncertainty surrounding air transport. The partial closure of the US administration could also affect air traffic controllers whose salaries are no longer paid.
However, the TSA was reassuring. On its website - which has not been updated due to the shutdown - the agency has published a press release giving an update on passenger security screening operations. According to TSA, of the 1.89 million passengers screened on Monday, 99.1% of travellers waited less than 30 minutes for screening, with 94.3% waiting less than 15 minutes. The TSA recommends that travellers check the situation on airport or airline websites to find out about possible terminal closures and passenger transfers to other check-in areas.
