348 Delays Hit Orlando Airport as TSA Agents Quit

By Kendall Waltz Leave a Comment

If you’re heading to the airport soon, you’re going to want to get there earlier than usual due to massive delays hitting airports across the country. The airport closest to Disney World, the Orlando International Airport, has had a total of 348 delays and 160 flight cancellations — yikes!

MCO TSA Precheck

According to CNN, hundreds of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers who are going without full pay have quit, while others have taken unscheduled time off, causing massive delays at airport security.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, more than 300 TSA agents quit on Friday, March 13th. This is the first weekend that TSA workers have missed their first full paycheck since the partial shutdown began in mid-February after Homeland Security funding, which oversees TSA, was lapsed.

TSA lines at MCO

On Sunday, March 15th, CEOs of major airlines, including American, Delta, Southwest, and JetBlue, have written a letter to Congress urging them to restore funding and find a bipartisan solution to ensure federal aviation workers are paid during shutdowns.

MCO Airport

The letter said, “It’s difficult, if not impossible, to put food on the table, put gas in the car, and pay rent when you are not getting paid.”

Hundreds of TSA employees have quit this time around, and Everett Kelley, the national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, a union that represents more than 46,000 uniformed TSA workers, said it is “no surprise.” “Most Americans would quit their jobs if they didn’t get a paycheck on payday,” Kelley said.

MCO Airport Security

If you have an upcoming trip, you might want to consider rescheduling if possible, but if you are still planning on going to the airport, make sure you are prepared to wait and come early to account for the longer lines. While programs like Clear and TSA PreCheck can help limit some of the wait, keep in mind that these lines are also likely backed up.

Keep following Disney Food Blog for more updates.

$550 MILLION EXPANSION APPROVED FOR ORLANDO AIRPORT

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