Philadelphia International Airport Closes Terminal C Checkpoint Amid Shutdown

The ongoing partial government shutdown has claimed another victim.

Philadelphia International Airport said Thursday it would close its Terminal C checkpoint amid staffing shortages due to the shutdown. There is no word on when the terminal checkpoint will reopen.

Terminal C typically serves as a major hub for American Airlines’ domestic operations in Philadelphia, housing arrivals and departures for various East Coast and Midwest routes. While the checkpoint is closed, travelers must use TSA screening in Terminals B or D and then walk airside to reach Terminal C gates.

All other terminals at the airport remain open and operational, though wait times, like those at other airports around the country, are getting longer. Travelers this week have already reported wait times of three-plus hours at some of the nation’s busiest airports, including William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) in Houston and Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY).

TSA officers have been working without pay since the partial shutdown began Feb. 14, and last week they missed their first full paycheck of the shutdown. The expectation is that more unscheduled absences and callouts will happen the longer the shutdown continues, resulting in longer wait times, missed connections, and delayed flights.

All that could come just as the spring break travel season kicks into high gear for many Americans.

Travelers did get some relief Wednesday when the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that Global Entry, which had been closed since Feb. 22, would reopen. Global Entry is one of the two major known traveler programs employed by American travelers. The other, PreCheck, has remained operational and essentially unimpeded.

Travel groups have consistently lobbied against government shutdowns and their impacts on the travel ecosystem, particularly ahead of busy periods like spring break. The U.S. Travel Association is currently pushing Congress to pass funding for the TSA under the Keep America Flying Act.

“With spring break travel around the corner, travelers and the U.S. economy cannot afford to have essential TSA personnel working without pay. Funding lapses increase the risk of unscheduled absences and callouts, which can result in longer wait times, missed connections, and delayed flights,” the association stated.

According to ABC News, more than 300 TSA officers have already left the agency since the shutdown began.