This story was produced as part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. It first appeared at cpr.org.
U.S. airports, including Denver, have been asked by the Federal Aviation Administration to continue operating at 6 percent lower than usual as the agency assesses whether the system can gradually return to normal operations. During the government shutdown, flights have been reduced at 40 major airports across the country.
Since the shutdown began on Oct. 1, air traffic controllers and TSA agents have worked without pay, causing many to work second jobs, call in sick, and even retire. Such staffing shortages triggered increased reports of strain across all sectors of the airline industry.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Wednesday that staffing and safety indicators are finally improving, with far fewer air traffic controllers calling out of work this week. As the federal government reopens and controllers and other workers receive their backpay, the FAA will continue to monitor staffing levels and review key trend lines as it evaluates changes.
“The data is going to guide what we do because the safety of the American people comes first,” Duffy said in a press release. “If the FAA safety team determines the trend lines are moving in the right direction, we’ll put forward a path to resume normal operations.”
For many federal employees, though, the shutdown’s effects are far from over. Angela Grana, regional vice president for Local 1127, a TSA union in Colorado, said that while the promise of back pay is welcome, there’s still confusion and financial strain among airport security officers.
Grana said many are still struggling to make ends meet. “It’s getting bad,” she said. One employee cannot afford medication required for them to be considered fit and ready to work.
“They can’t come to work if they’re not in full swing,” she said. “Another member is living out of their car. They’ve lost everything they had in storage because they couldn’t pay the fee.”
“The shutdown ending makes us feel better that something’s coming, but it hasn’t come yet,” Grana said. “They gave us promises, but we don’t know. And it’s been mixed messages.”
Some communications have stated that the pay from all missed paychecks will come in a lump sum. Others have stated that back pay will be issued in chunks as soon as Nov. 20.
Many workers are also anxious they might find themselves in the same situation when the stopgap funding measure expires on January 30th. A fear shared by air traffic controllers.
“This is just a quick fix until January 30,” she said. “So everybody’s going to have to cut back for Christmas because you don’t know what’s going to happen in January.”
That anxiety has also spread to workers’ families.
“Our children are anxious,” Grana said. “They know that there’s something going on. So it’s not just us that are stressed out. Our families are just as stressed out. They worry for us too.”
While workers are feeling the strain, travelers may not have had the same experience flying out of Colorado’s airports.
In an emailed statement to CPR News, a spokesperson for Denver International Airport said the updated East Security Checkpoint and its new technology helped them to maintain efficiency during the shutdown.
“The checkpoint has expedited and enhanced the airport’s screening efficiency. We work closely with TSA partners to effectively staff security checkpoints, including during peak travel times with high passenger traffic volumes. We appreciate TSA agents’ continued dedication to supporting DEN’s screening operations through this government shutdown,” a DIA spokesperson told CPR News in an email.
Grana worries the government will take advantage of agents who worked hard to keep things running smoothly during the shutdown.
“We're working hard. Yes, we are a well-oiled machine, but what we don't want is for the agency to go, ‘Well, you did it just with 10 people. You should be able to do it with 10 people,’” Grana said. “Yeah, we can do it, but that's not fair. That's not right. And we're going to make mistakes when we're thinned out.”
