March 17, 2026

With more than 30 percent of Transportation Security Administration officers absent from work at several airports across the United States this week, a senior T.S.A. official warned on Tuesday that the ongoing partial government shutdown may force the closure of small U.S. airports.

In an appearance on Fox News, Adam Stahl, the acting deputy administrator of the T.S.A., said that if the shutdown continues, “it’s not hyperbole to suggest that we may have to quite literally shut down airports, particularly smaller ones, if call-out rates go up.”

With over 30 percent of TSA officers absent at several U.S. airports amid a prolonged government shutdown, a top TSA official warned that continued call-outs could force the closure of smaller airports, as staffing shortages threaten to cripple security checkpoints; about 50,000 TSA officers have been working without pay since mid-February due to budget disputes over immigration enforcement, and while no immediate closures are planned, the situation could escalate if the shutdown persists.

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