Expect Longer Wait Times at Airports in Maine, New Hampshire, & Massachusetts

Since 2001, flying has become much more of a pain.

Yes, we started seeing more security restrictions on flying following the late 1980s bombing of that Pan Am flight over Scotland.  However, the really tight security restrictions did not begin until after the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks.

That's when the creation of the Department of Homeland Security setup TSA checkpoints within each commercial airport.  That's when we started having to take our shoes off, when we were prevented from taking a certain amount of liquids on a plane, and when when some people were pulled from the line for enhanced checks.

These changes have made it so that we need to arrive at most airports hours before our flights.

Now, it looks like the government shutdown will soon force us to arrive even earlier.

According to a recent article on the WABI website, as the government shutdown continues, the TSA is expected to see more staffing shortages.

The Transportation Security Administration says the longer this government shutdown drags on, the worse their staffing problems will get.

TSA agents and air traffic controllers are considered essential, so they still have to show up for work despite not getting a paycheck.  They’ll get paid once the shutdown ends, but that doesn’t exactly help with rent or bills due this week.

The agency admits that as time goes on, more workers may have trouble showing up. Some already have, with long security lines last weekend in Atlanta blamed on staffing shortages.  Before too long, it could become an issue with airports in New England.

This partial shutdown started back on October 1, after Congress failed to agree on a funding bill.

Have you flown since the shutdown?  Have you noticed any lengthy delays in getting through security?