U.S. air travel concerns surface as government shutdown drags on

Union officials said some TSA officers have already quit because of the shutdown and many are considering quitting. "The loss of (TSA) officers, while we’re already shorthanded, will create a massive security risk for American travelers since we don’t have enough trainees in the pipeline or the ability to process new hires," American Federation of Government Employees TSA Council President Hydrick Thomas said. "There has been no degradation in security effectiveness and average wait times are well within TSA standards," Transportation Security Administration spokesman Michael Bilello said.