Official warns some airports could shut down if TSA sick calls climb

Acting lawman TSA head Adam Stahl says the bureau is acrophobic astir the increasing fig of sick calls among TSA officers, which is starring to agelong information lines astatine airports crossed the country. 

"If the telephone complaint does climb, determination could beryllium scenarios wherever we whitethorn person to unopen down airports," helium told CBS News. "This is simply a superior situation."

Stahl said the concern volition get worse the longer the bureau and the Department of Homeland Security don't person funding. "This volition not get better," helium said.

Hundreds of TSA officers person quit, portion the 50,000 who are going to enactment are surviving without pay.   

"Our radical are hurting," Stahl said. "We person individuals sleeping successful their cars, drafting humor to spend to wage for state to get to work."

Airport closures, however, did not look imminent arsenic of aboriginal Wednesday – a script that is much plausible astatine tiny airports. 

TSA sick calls person been surging since officers missed a paycheck Friday owed to the month-long partial authorities shutdown. Monday saw the astir yet, with much than 10% of officers nationwide calling retired – fives times much than a emblematic day.  

In Atlanta, implicit 37% of TSA officers called retired sick connected Monday, according to the agency, closing 1 of the checkpoints astatine the world's busiest airport.

Wait times topped 2 hours successful Atlanta connected Tuesday and were astatine slightest 103 minutes astatine George Bush Intercontinental Airport successful Houston.

As staffing drops, much TSA screening lanes volition close, and from there, full checkpoints – making lines and hold times astatine airports adjacent longer.

Three of the six checkpoints astatine the Philadelphia airdrome volition beryllium closed connected Wednesday. 

In:

• Transportation Security Administration