By Daniel Manetin

Air travel is an experience nearly every person is familiar with, often not for the most comforting reasons. The modern processes of security, check-in, and baggage claim don’t tend to spark joy in the common human, and recent cutbacks on Transportation Security Administration (TSA} staffing and even Air Traffic Control (ATC) are reshaping the experience of air travel. Across the United States, longer lines and delays are harming airport efficiency as normal, fully-staffed operations are becoming few and far between. They may not be initially obvious to travelers, but as the issue worsens, so does the impact on overall traveler experience.

These delays and downsides are undoubtedly caused by staffing shortages, and officials noted in a report by Reuters that “more than 9% of TSA employees have been absent from work over the past seven days, leading to lengthy lines for passengers trying to get to their gates” (Shepardson et al). The same report also mentions that the human side of the shortage, stating that TSA officers often cannot afford living necessities due to the ongoing lack of paychecks, with rumors even spreading that agents often have to take up additional part-time jobs just to barely make ends meet.

Before this crisis began, travel experience was much more stable and cutbacks were hardly made. Student Maxi Preuss [11] described a smooth process in Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport prior to the TSA crisis, stating that “it took like ten minutes for the whole [security] process, less than average… they seemed to be fully staffed. pretty much all of the areas were operating.” In addition to the smooth sailing, he also mentioned a larger view on the airport’s operation, explaining “I think it’s very efficient… as efficient as it could probably get,” and acknowledging the current contrast, and that “It’s unfortunate that we have situations… where TSA is underfunded.”

However, after paychecks were cut from TSA and staff shortages came into effect, efficiency quickly fell, as another student Julien Agboro [11] described, significantly delayed in a recent trip. He mentioned that “I had to wait at least like two hours or so just to get out of the customs… the staff looked pretty slow, it looked like there was a lot less.” He also pointed out that even when operations seemed mostly normal, there were still differences in structure, and there were “really weird arrangements to get to the actual security checkpoint, like [thrown] together.” Even without immense delays, the differences are clear into how this crisis is ruining airport efficiency and affecting traveler experience.

Airport operations may not have completely broken down, but the synchrony of air travel has been tarnished, and the effects continue to show through delays and shortages across the country. The crisis is more dire for TSA officers and travelers than it may seem, and airports are becoming more unsteady and unsafe as this continues. Air travel is an essential part of daily life, and a major influence for worldwide commuting, and these consistent shortages will eventually take a toll on the general population once the lack of safety comes back to bite.