TSA official warns some airports could shut down if officers' sick calls climb: "A serious situation"
Source: CBS News
Updated on: March 18, 2026 / 2:44 PM EDT
Acting deputy TSA administrator Adam Stahl says the agency is concerned about the growing number of sick calls among TSA officers, which is leading to long security lines at airports across the country. "If the call rate does climb, there could be scenarios where we may have to shut down airports," he told CBS News. "This is a serious situation."
Stahl said the situation will get worse the longer the agency and the Department of Homeland Security don't receive funding. "This will not get better," he said.Hundreds of TSA officers have quit, while the 50,000 who are going to work are living without pay. "Our people are hurting," Stahl said. "We have individuals sleeping in their cars, drawing blood to afford to pay for gas to get to work."
Airport closures, however, did not seem imminent as of early Wednesday – a scenario that is more plausible at small airports. TSA sick calls have been surging since officers missed a paycheck Friday due to the month-long partial government shutdown.
Monday saw the most yet, with more than 10% of officers nationwide calling out – five times more than a typical day. In Atlanta, over 37% of TSA officers called out sick on Monday, according to the agency, closing one of the checkpoints at the world's busiest airport.
Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tsa-airports-could-shut-down-officer-call-out-rate-climbs/
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