Increasingly agitated travelers are sacrificing countless hours and missing milestone events as apartial government shutdownspills into its 40th day and the country loses hundreds of airport security employees.
Nowhere is the scene more miserable than at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), where predawn lines this week packed an underground tunnel and forcedsome travelers to miss their flights— again.
"We see the families arriving early and waiting for hours. We see missed flights. We see missed moments, weddings, vacations, time with loved ones," said Jim Szczesniak, director of aviation for the Houston Airport System.
Even more sobering: "We worry conditions will only get worse at airports across the US until Congress ends this shutdown," Szczesniak said.
Here's why the situation is so dire, why some airports are faring better and why the problems could get worse.
'You may not clear security in time'
Some travelers who missed their flights at George Bush Intercontinental were forced to return to the airport the next day and spend more hours in line.
They were among a sea of frustrated passengers that stretched down into a tunnel where a subway tram typically runs. As they waited, awarning blaredover the speakers:
"Due to the federal government shutdown, TSA wait times are currently exceeding four hours," the announcement said. "If your flight is departing soon, you may not clear security in time. Please consider contacting your airlines now for rebooking options."
On Wednesday morning, the lines were noticeably shorter. But Wednesdays are typically low-volume days, said Houston Airport System spokesperson Casey Curry.
"We are expecting a higher passenger load Thursday and Friday," she said, in part because of conference departures and NCAA Sweet 16 events.
By Wednesday afternoon, the wait time at Bush Intercontinentalreached two hours. Curry said she expects traffic to increase Sunday and Monday, when many business travelers fly.
Other airports, including Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, said they expect traffic to pick up during peak travel days Friday through Monday.
10 minutes vs. 4 hours
Wait timesvaried widelyat Houston's two largest airports.
Just 30 miles away from IAH, passengers at Houston's Hobby Airport breezed through security in about 10 minutes this week. That's because a surge of TSA agents bolstered Hobby's staffing in the early days of the shutdown.
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As TSA employees worked without pay, called out or quit, the smaller Hobby Airport soon saw massive lines. So on March 8, the Houston Airport System asked forhelp from TSA national deployment officers, who assist airports in times of acute need. Those officers started working at Hobby on March 10.
But as the shutdown continued, the number of TSA agents dwindled and more airports across the country saw significant increases in wait times.
On Wednesday, a handful of TSA national deployment officers were added to the staff at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, the Houston Airport System said.
"The small number of NDOs are able to support the opening of an additional screening lane or two at IAH," the airport authoritysaid.
It was not immediately clear where those additional officers came from. TSA had said all extra officers were already assigned.
TSA agents miss almost $1 billion in paychecks – and more might quit
Bush Intercontinental has seen some of the longest lines in the country because at least half of its security lanes have been closed, Szczesniak said.
"So that's 100% (of) spring break loads going through the airport being processed through less than 50% of our TSA lanes," he said. "That is not sustainable."
With lengthy commutes in the greater Houston area, high gas prices might also explain why Bush Intercontinental has been hit particularly hard by TSA staffing shortages.
"Just yesterday, I watched an officer receive a gas card from one of our partners," Szczesniak said. "They had tears in their eyes knowing that they could fill up their tank to get home and come back to work to help keep these lines moving."
Before the shutdown, the callout rate among TSA workers was about 4%, the agency said. Now, about 40% of TSA staffers are calling out at some major airports — including George Bush Intercontinental, the agency said.
That's on top of the growing number of TSA workers who have quit entirely. As of Wednesday, at least 480 agents had resigned.
If the shutdown drags into Friday, TSA employees will have collectively missed $1 billion in paychecks, acting administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill said Wednesday.
To help mitigate the pain, the Houston Airport System said it is providing meals, working with the Houston Food Bank and partnering with nonprofits to try to help TSA agents "in this unbearable position."
CNN's Ed Lavandera, Aleena Fayaz and Maria Aguilar contributed to this report.
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