Delta CEO Blasts Congress Over Unpaid TSA Agents as Airport Chaos Continues

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Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian harshly criticized Congress for forcing airport security agents to work without pay during the ongoing partial government shutdown, calling the situation "inexcusable" and accusing lawmakers of using frontline workers as "political chips". Bastian said Delta is already seeing the impact, with staffing shortages at security checkpoints fueling longer lines and delays at major hubs.

Why it matters

The standoff in Washington has left about 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers working without pay since mid-February, with many struggling to cover basic expenses. The staffing crunch has spilled into airports nationwide, forcing some checkpoints to be shut entirely and triggering wait times lasting two to three hours or longer at major airports.

The details

Bastian said Delta is already seeing the impact, with staffing shortages at security checkpoints fueling longer lines and delays at major hubs - including Atlanta, where extended wait times flared over the weekend. He said weather worsened the situation but stressed the underlying issue is unpaid workers. Call-out rates have more than doubled, and at least 300 TSA officers have reportedly quit since the shutdown began.

• The standoff in Washington has left about 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers working without pay since mid-February.
• Last week, Senate Democrats blocked a bill that would restore funding to DHS for the fourth time in the past month as more than 5,000 flights were delayed and 500 others were cancelled.

What they’re saying

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.