Staff shortages due to US government shutdown cause airport delays

Reuters - Passengers wasted a long time at major airports of the United States due to more absence of security check employees as the longest partial government shutdown stretched into its 26th day Wednesday. Around 800,000 government employees are being affected by the current shutdown, but around 420,000 of them are occupying "core positions" and are demanded to continue their work even without getting paid, including 50,000 security check employees for airports. However, without paychecks, more of the employees applied for leaves, resulting in a shortage of security check services. "This is crazy. You have people who have to get to work, business trips. And they are missing their flights because of the delays of the government. I think it's unfair. You have families, you have bills, you have families who have to take care of their families. And with the government shutdown, I don't think that's right. Nobody should be working for free," said Candice, a passenger at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world's busiest airport by passenger traffic. One out of every 12 security check employees at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport called in sick on Monday, forcing the airport to inform the domestic-travel passengers that they had to reach the terminals for security checks three hours before boarding. "I don't really know the percentage of the workers that called in or nothing none of that, but you know what I'm saying, but anytime that people are not getting paid, would you work if you weren't getting paid? I'm just saying, you know what I'm saying, if you ain't getting a paycheck, would you go to work? You go to work to do what? To get a check. So if somebody is effecting somebody getting a check, you know what I'm saying, that's major," said Anthony, an employee at the airport. With more workers being furloughed, some airports have been forced to temporarily close or cut back flights at some terminals, including the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the Washington Dulles International Airport and Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport.