Eugene Airport Operating Normally Despite National TSA Staffing Shortages

Eugene Airport director Andrew Martz told local stations Monday that Mahlon Sweet Field (EUG) was moving travelers through security in roughly four minutes on average, with a peak of seven minutes, even as the partial Department of Homeland Security shutdown stretched past five weeks and drove hours-long waits at major hubs across the country.

Martz said security wait times at Eugene had not been impacted and that, as of Monday morning, March 23, staffing had not been too different from past government shutdowns. The airport posted a banner on its website reading "Airport Operating Normally During Partial Federal Shutdown," adding that parking, concessions, customer service, and public safety are all independent of the federal budget and would continue without disruption.

The contrast with larger airports was stark. Airport security workers nationwide called out Monday at the highest rate since the shutdown began in mid-February, and travelers reported hours-long lines at major airports in Atlanta and Houston, with waits of 30 minutes or more at several other hubs. At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, 37.4 percent of TSA workers called out on average, while Houston's William P. Hobby Airport saw 40.3 percent calling out, similar to the 36.1 percent rate at George Bush Intercontinental.

ICE agents were deployed to 14 airports on Monday to assist during the shutdown, sent to those seeing the most significant impacts. ICE agents had not been deployed to the Eugene Airport and were not expected to be deployed to any Oregon airports, a Eugene Airport spokesperson confirmed Monday.

Jenny Helms, a travel consultant at Sunrise Travel in Eugene, said her clients flying out of EUG had not noticed much change. "So far, out of Eugene, it's been very similar to what it has been in the past," Helms said, noting that Denver, Houston, and other large airports were absorbing the brunt of the disruptions. Her advice for anyone heading to Mahlon Sweet Field remains the same regardless: "The most important thing is just to make sure that you have plenty of time at the airport and have all of your travel documents necessary to where you're going."

The relative calm at EUG may not hold. DHS funding lapsed on February 14, leaving the department, which houses TSA, shut down for more than five weeks. TSA officers are considered essential workers and have continued reporting for duty without pay, but high rates of callouts have followed as some officers have had to pick up second jobs to cover basic expenses. TSA agents were set to miss their first full paycheck on Friday, March 27, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has warned that the second missed paycheck is the point at which he expects staffing problems to worsen significantly.

Acting Deputy TSA Administrator Adam Stahl warned last week that if the shutdown doesn't end soon, some smaller airports might have to "quite literally shut down." Martz said no such closures are planned for any Oregon airports at this time.

While operations in Eugene remain stable, Eugene Airport director Cathryn Stephens noted conditions could change if the shutdown continues and workers face prolonged financial strain. "People can only be expected to work without pay for so long," Stephens said, adding that they eventually have to "find another way to earn money." The airport is asking anyone who wants to support local TSA workers to donate nonperishable food items or gift cards of $10 or less, which can be dropped off at the airport administration office or at the TSA screening checkpoint.