Travelers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport are facing grueling delays Friday morning as TSA security wait times at the main domestic checkpoint have reached two hours. The congestion is so severe that lines are currently stretching past the checkpoints and into the baggage claim area.
The spike in wait times is largely attributed to a high number of TSA employees calling out of work. Many staffers have missed full paychecks following the recent government shutdown, leading to a shortage of personnel to man security lanes. Reports indicate that at various points this week, more than a third of the local TSA workforce has been absent.
CURRENT DELAYS & CANCELLATIONS
The timing is particularly difficult for the airport, which expects to process nearly 350,000 travelers between yesterday and Sunday. While official guidelines typically suggest arriving two hours early for domestic flights, airport staff are now advising passengers to arrive up to three hours ahead of their scheduled departure to ensure they make their flights.
FOX 5 Atlanta spoke to passengers who said they arrived between 3 and 5 hours early and one woman told FOX 5 Atlanta that her flight on Thursday was canceled.
PREVIOUS STORIES
