Lincoln Airport remains unaffected by government shutdown

If you’re taking to the skies anytime soon you might want to pack some extra patience.

Lines for security at many of the nations airports have grown as the government shutdown enters day eighteen.

TSA agents have started calling in sick as they continue to go without pay.

Channel 8 News stopped by the Lincoln Airport to see how their operations are being affected by the shutdown.

Airport officials say so far agents are showing up and they remain hopeful it will stay that way.

“There will be a renewed cautious optimism if you will for the weeks that follow depending on how long the shutdown lasts,” said David Haring, the executive director of the Lincoln Airport, said. 

If TSA agents decided to stop showing up there is little the Lincoln Airport could do.

Airport workers are limited to very few tasks and are forbidden from screening passengers.

“Any direct screening operations really anything from the checking of the id to all the way through, in essence when you leave, can only be done by specifically trained TSA representatives.”

TSA is not just responsible for making sure the skies are safe, they’re also in charge of maintaining security screening equipment.

Many technicians who maintain this equipment have been furloughed and are being called in on an as needed basis.

Channel 8 News reached out to TSA for comment and they said they screened over 2 million passengers on Monday with 99% of those waiting less than 30 minutes.

They also said unscheduled absences are only 4.6% compared to 3.8% one year ago.

If you’re going to be flying out of Lincoln Airport and want to check for delays you can find those on the airport website or by clicking here.