Around 60,000 TSA workers nationwide are expected to show up to work without pay during the partial government shutdown, including hundreds of employees at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.
The partial shutdown entered its fourth day Tuesday, affecting only the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), while all other government agencies remain fully funded through September.
TSA falls under DHS, meaning workers are going without paychecks again just three months after a record 43-day shutdown last fall left them unpaid.
Workers face financial hardship again
While TSA workers eventually received back pay from the previous shutdown, many live paycheck-to-paycheck and cannot afford to go without steady income again.
According to the agency’s acting director, more than 1,000 TSA security officers left their jobs last October and November. That represents an increase of more than 25% compared to the same time period in 2024.
Clint Henderson with The Points Guy said another extended shutdown could further impact the agency’s workforce.“These workers have been through the ringer the past year or so. And here they are again, working without pay,” Henderson said. “Some of them have second jobs, some of them will have to take second jobs or even third jobs to get through this period without a paycheck. So, you know, the longer that happens, the more people decide it’s probably not worth it to continue in this line of work.”Air traffic controllers unaffected this timeUnlike the previous shutdown, air traffic controllers will continue receiving pay because their funding comes from the Department of Transportation.
Henderson said the shutdown has not yet impacted air travel but warned that could change quickly.
“The longer it goes on, the more people call out sick and the more people are disgruntled working without pay,” Henderson said. “So, for now, they’re at their duty stations. We’re not seeing major implications for travel right now, but that will change if time goes on and this remains shut down.”
Congress on recess, no immediate resolution expected
Congress remains on recess this week and is not expected to return until Monday, meaning no funding deal for DHS will likely happen soon.
Henderson said extended delays could impact spring break travel as workers become resentful and call out sick, leading to longer airport lines and flight delays.
“You will start to see impacts to travel, including for the busy spring break season,” Henderson said. “You know, what happens is, workers are working without pay, and then they start to get resentful, and some of them start to call out sick. And then, you start having long lines, understaffing, that leads to longer lines at airports, more delays.”
