As TSA workforce strain worsens, GBTA again urges U.S. Congress to End Shutdown

Early this morning, the U.S. Senate voted on a measure to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The news comes after President Donald Trump, earlier in the day, said in a social media post that he would order that Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers would be paid immediately. The U.S. House of Representatives still has to vote on the package that the Senate has now approved.

The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) is once again urging the U.S. Congress to immediately reach an agreement to end the ongoing government shutdown and finalize a budget that restores stability to our nation’s aviation system.

The association said that the failure to act is placing unsustainable strain on airport operations nationwide and directly harming the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workforce — resulting in severe security line delays, missed flights and growing disruption in U.S. travel.

Suzanne Neufang, CEO, GBTA, said that: “Business travel depends on predictability and efficiency, and right now, both are breaking down at America’s airports. GBTA is once more urging Congress to resolve the shutdown before departing for a two-week Congressional spring recess. The travelling public, the TSA workforce and the U.S. business community need leadership and action now. It is time to get travel and travellers moving again.”

Expedited screening programs such as TSA PreCheck were designed to allow vetted travellers to move efficiently through checkpoints while enabling officers to focus attention where it is most needed. Under the current shutdown, that system is under visible and increasing strain. Frustration is mounting—not only among travellers trying to reach essential meetings, return home to families or keep businesses running, but also among TSA professionals who are working under immense pressure with limited resources.

The impact on business travel is significant. Business travellers on a 48-hour work trip could easily spend 12 hours waiting in airport security lines. That results in a direct hit to productivity, commerce and economic confidence. When airports seize up, businesses delay trips, cancel meetings, and reconsider sending employees through U.S. gateways altogether.

The ripple effects are felt well beyond the terminal, across local economies and the broader travel and tourism sector. The U.S. cannot afford prolonged uncertainty that undermines a system so critical to economic growth, competitiveness, and national mobility, as well as the appeal of the U.S. as a top global business travel destination.

GBTA research anticipates U.S. business travel spending will reach $395.4 billion this year, making it the top market worldwide. U.S. business travel also contributes $484.4 billion annually in direct spending. It also supports 6 million U.S. jobs and accounts for almost 2% of U.S. GDP, underscoring how critical business travel is to economic growth and competitiveness.

Calling for an urgent resolution, GBTA has previously met with members of Congress and joined with other industry groups in letters, along with hundreds of GBTA U.S. industry members who have reached out to their Congressional representatives. Every day without action increases congestion, worsens delays and pushes the aviation system closer to a breaking point.

Go to www.gbta.org for more.