Long lines, flight cancellations plague Atlanta airport amid storms, shutdown
Long security lines stretched through the terminal and into baggage claim at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Monday morning, and hundreds of flights were canceled for the day amid storms.
A severe thunderstorm led to a ground stop at the Atlanta airport for much of the morning. By midafternoon, more than 350 flights were canceled for Monday, according to FlightAware.com.
That follows a weekend of hundreds of flight cancellations as storms hit the Midwest and parts of the East Coast, FlightAware data show. It adds up to tens of thousands of travelers whose flights have been disrupted.
By midafternoon Monday, Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines had canceled more than 10% of its flights for the day into and out of Atlanta, with more than 40% of its flights delayed.
And as temperatures dropped in the afternoon, flights departing Hartsfield-Jackson were delayed for de-icing.
Travelers who were flying out faced extremely long lines for security screening, with some estimated wait times of 90 minutes or more at the main checkpoint, according to the airport’s security wait times posted on its website. Lines stretched through the terminal, then went winding around baggage claim carousels.
Monday mornings are typically one of the busiest periods of the week, and long lines have been exacerbated amid a partial government shutdown.
The shutdown has left Transportation Security Administration officers working without pay for weeks, forcing some to find other work to pay their bills. That is leading to staffing shortages.
Hartsfield-Jackson closed one of its security checkpoints because of TSA staffing constraints Sunday and Monday morning. The Lower North checkpoint closed, contributing to longer lines at the remaining checkpoints at the domestic terminal.
Airline CEOs sent an open letter to Congress on Sunday calling on them to resolve the shutdown.
In their letter, they said Americans “are tired of long lines at airports, travel delays and flight cancellations caused by shutdown after shutdown. Yet, once again air travel is the political football amid another government shutdown.”
The letter was signed by 10 executives, including Delta CEO Ed Bastian, Sandy Springs-based UPS’ U.S. President Nando Cesarone and the CEOs of United, American, Southwest, JetBlue, Alaska Air, FedEx’s airline, Atlas Air and lobbying group Airlines for America.
It said checkpoint wait times of “2, 3 and even 4 hours have been reported,” and airlines are trying to mitigate disruption by holding flights for late passengers and handling rebookings.
“TSA officers just received $0 paychecks. That is simply unacceptable,” the letter said. “It’s difficult, if not impossible, to put food on the table, put gas in the car and pay rent when you are not getting paid.”
At a Monday press conference held at Hartsfield Jackson, union leaders from AFGE Local 554, representing Atlanta-area TSA workers, spoke about the impacts of the shutdown and called on members of Congress to take action. Officers missed their first full paycheck on March 13.
Local 554 President Aaron Barker said TSA officers are proud of their jobs and want to work. Despite missing their first full paycheck on March 13, officers are still showing up — they’ll face disciplinary action, which could include termination, if they do not. Some are living paycheck-to-paycheck and exhausted every financial option to stay afloat, and are struggling to afford childcare or recently elevated gas prices to commute to work, the leaders said in their remarks.
“TSA employees did not cause the shutdown, and yet they are burdened by Congressional inaction,” Barker said. “Essential public service should not be used as leverage in political disputes, especially while members of Congress continue to receive their own paychecks.”
The shutdown falls during one of the busiest travel seasons of the year, Barker said, and comes four months after the previous shutdown. He can’t estimate how much staffing is down, but says it is “quite a bit.”
The airline CEOs in their letter also warned that spring break travel is underway and FIFA World Cup is “right around the corner.”
The World Cup is expected to bring an influx of international travelers into Atlanta, which will be a host city for eight matches during the tournament this summer.
The effects of the previous shutdown still linger, Barker said in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Officers are tired of the uncertainty. He fears it will impact recruitment of new officers in the future.
“Now it’s become even more of a question — do I want to stick around to keep going through this uncertainty that’s happening with funding?” Barker said.
About the Authors
Savannah Sicurella is an entertainment business reporter with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
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