Sep. 27—A government shutdown could mean longer lines at airports and flight delays, according to the Biden administration and travel experts.
Transportation Security Agency workers and Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controllers are employed by the federal government. They would not be paid during a shutdown but are expected to report to their jobs since they are considered essential workers. But, as has happened in the past, it's likely that some workers — or many, if the shutdown grinds on for weeks — will call in sick. The workers will receive back pay once a shutdown ends, but it can be dispiriting and difficult for them to continue working while enduring economic hardships, observers said.
California has 5,469 TSA officers and 1,418 air traffic controllers, the White House said.
TSA agents and air traffic controllers "would have to show up to do their critical jobs without getting paid until funding becomes available," the Biden administration said in a statement Wednesday. "In previous shutdowns, this led to significant delays and longer wait times for travelers at airports across the country."
San Francisco International Airport, however, is immune to this issue for TSA agents.
That's because SFO is part of the Screening Partnership Program, "meaning the security checkpoint staff are not federal employees, and thus not impacted by a government shutdown," spokesperson Doug Yakel said in an email. "So at SFO it would mainly be FAA air traffic controllers and (Customs and Border Protection) officers who would be considered essential and thus be required to work without getting paid."
Yakel said he doesn't recall any significant impact on airport operations during the last shutdown, which was the nation's longest, lasting 34 days, starting Dec. 21, 2018.
Oakland International Airport and San Jose Mineta International Airport both rely on federal TSA workers and air traffic controllers, but both said they don't expect to be affected.
"No significant impacts to operations are expected at Oakland International Airport as a result of a potential government shutdown," said spokesperson Kaley Skantz.
Scott Wintner, deputy director of the San Jose airport, likewise said that it does not expect any issues.
He recalled that during the 2018-19 shutdown, the airport undertook some efforts to support TSA and FAA workers who were going without paychecks.
"We were literally at a point where some (federal workers) said they couldn't afford to put gas in their cars," he said.
The airport partnered with a local food bank to make perishable and nonperishable items available, and it partnered with a nearby credit union to set up a relief fund to pay loans against their future paychecks. But the shutdown ended before any workers took advantage of the loan program.
Amtrak is not expected to feel an impact from a potential shutdown. While the passenger rail service receives federal subsidies, it is run independently of the government and its employees will still get paid. Amtrak services were not disrupted in past shutdowns.
"Passengers planning to travel on Amtrak trains in the Northeast Corridor and across the country in the coming days and weeks can be assured that Amtrak will remain open for business," it said in a statement.
In the 2018-19 shutdown, the FAA limited flights at LaGuardia Airport in New York City because of a dearth of air traffic controllers, which also led to issues at airports in Newark, N.J.; Philadelphia; and Atlanta. About 10% of TSA agents across the country called in sick during the previous shutdown, meaning that airport security screenings had much longer lines than usual.
The FAA actually has a second shutdown issue, because a congressional bill to authorize it for the next five years is deadlocked. If a deal isn't reached by Oct. 5, the FAA cannot collect the $50 million a day from taxes on airline tickets and fuel that it relies on.
The overall shutdown could affect the pipeline for new air traffic controllers, as their training would cease, and about 1,000 in the training program would be furloughed.
"Even a shutdown lasting a few days could mean we will not hit our staffing and hiring targets next year," said Pete Buttigieg, secretary of transportation, according to the Washington Post.
Reach Carolyn Said: [email protected]; Twitter: @csaid
___
(c)2023 the San Francisco Chronicle
Visit the San Francisco Chronicle at www.sfchronicle.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
