Spring break travelers face delays at RSW airport amid partial government shutdown

FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK)—Travelers at Southwest Florida International Airport are facing potential delays this spring break weekend due to a partial government shutdown affecting TSA staffing.

TSA agents missed their first full paycheck this week. About 300 TSA officers have quit nationwide since the partial government shutdown started at the end of January, and agents across the country are calling out of work, which could mean longer wait times at security checkpoints.

According to a TSA union representative, none of the RSW agents have quit yet, but they are calling out of work. Despite staffing concerns, travelers at RSW reported smooth experiences Friday, with most getting through security in less than five minutes.

Construction at RSW has cut off walkways and terminals, prompting travelers to build extra time into their airport commute. Morning hours and mid-afternoon tend to be the busiest times at the airport.

However, travelers arriving in Fort Myers from other airports reported significantly longer waits. Susan, traveling from Philadelphia, described the security lines there.

"The TSA lines in Philly were horrible," Susan said. "It they just went down and down and around and around. And it didn't matter if you had pre check, it was just, it took me a little bit over an hour to get through."

Susan said she arrived at the airport at 6:45 a.m. for an 8:50 a.m. flight and barely made it to her gate in time to board.

Wendy, traveling from Myrtle Beach, had a similar experience at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

"I'll tell you the Charlotte airport was so packed," Wendy said. "I've never seen that many people in the airport. I had to run from one end to the other. It was almost a mile and I had like 20 minutes and I'm like and it was so crowded."

Travelers can download the My TSA app to get estimated wait times based on their concourse before heading to the airport.