Flight cancellations and delays continue after US storms dump snow in the Midwest and head east

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ATLANTA (AP) — Travel disruptions continued Tuesday successful the U.S. arsenic airlines worked to retrieve from a almighty tempest strategy that had already snarled formation schedules a time earlier.

Carriers canceled much than 1,000 U.S. flights connected Tuesday and delayed astir 4,200 others, according to flight-tracking tract FlightAware. The disruptions were astir terrible astatine Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, with implicit 200 flights canceled and astir 450 delayed.

The disruptions travel a chaotic Monday for aerial travel, triggered by almighty storms that dumped snowfall by the ft successful the Midwest and swept done the eastbound fractional of the country, starring to thousands of cancellations astatine large hubs, including successful New York, Chicago and Atlanta. Gusts approached 50 mph (80 kph) successful parts of New York, the National Weather Service said.

Kelly Price, who was trying to get location to Colorado aft a household abrogation successful Orlando, Florida, said her Sunday nighttime formation wasn’t canceled until aboriginal Monday.

“By that time, the lone spot for america to slumber was the airdrome floor. So we’re each bushed and frustrated,” she said, adding that the soonest formation she and her household could publication doesn’t permission until Tuesday afternoon.

Storms travel portion TSA workers aren't getting paid

Air question was already nether unit earlier the storms. A partial authorities shutdown that began Feb. 14 has thinned staffing astatine immoderate information checkpoints, astatine times starring to longer lines. And airports are crowded with outpouring interruption travelers and fans heading to March Madness, the yearly NCAA men’s and women’s assemblage hoops tournaments.

On Monday alone, much than 4,800 U.S. flights were canceled. Delays topped 12,800. They included astir 600 canceled flights astatine Chicago O’Hare International Airport, much than 500 astatine Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson and astir 450 astatine New York’s LaGuardia Airport, according to FlightAware. The Federal Aviation Administration besides issued crushed stops and delays astatine respective large airports arsenic conditions worsened.

The storms besides unfolded conscionable arsenic airdrome information screeners missed their archetypal afloat paycheck implicit the weekend. The ongoing shutdown affects lone the Department of Homeland Security, which includes the Transportation Security Administration.

Democrats successful Congress person said Homeland Security won’t get funded until caller restrictions are placed connected national migration operations pursuing the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good successful Minneapolis earlier this year.

It is the 3rd shutdown successful little than a twelvemonth to permission TSA workers temporarily without pay. Once the authorities reopens, employees volition person to hold for backmost pay.

Long lines astatine information checkpoints

Some airports person reported longer information lines owed to staffing shortages arsenic much TSA workers instrumentality connected 2nd jobs, can’t spend state to get to enactment oregon permission the assemblage altogether. Homeland Security has said much than 300 TSA agents person discontinue since the shutdown began.

Philadelphia’s airdrome said TSA would temporarily adjacent 3 information checkpoints to optimize operations starting Wednesday. Staff volition usher travelers to alternate checkpoints, the airdrome said successful a station connected the societal level X. It recommended passengers get 2.5 hours aboriginal for home flights and 3.5 hours aboriginal for planetary flights.

TSA didn’t instantly respond to a query astir the crushed for the closures. The bureau closed immoderate Philadelphia checkpoints during a erstwhile authorities shutdown past year.

In Atlanta, Mel Stewart and his woman arrived 4 hours earlier than accustomed connected Monday for their formation retired of Hartsfield-Jackson to marque up for longer TSA lines.

“I deliberation it’s being politicized mode excessively overmuch — mode excessively much,” Stewart said of the shutdown. “And these radical are working. They enactment hard, and for TSA radical not to get paid, that’s silly.”

Outside the Atlanta airport, TSA national leaders held a quality league Monday informing that aerial travelers could look progressively agelong hold times arsenic the shutdown continues. Supporters held signs reading, “We privation a paycheck, not a rainfall check.”

Many TSA workers “are coping with eviction notices, conveyance repossessions, bare refrigerators and overdrawn slope accounts,” said Aaron Barker, a section person with the American Federation of Government Employees. Even so, helium said, galore officers proceed reporting to enactment contempt mounting fiscal strain.

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Yamat reported from Las Vegas. Associated Press reporters Margery A. Beck successful Omaha, Nebraska, and Audrey McAvoy successful Honolulu contributed to this report.

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