Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms posted on Twitter on Saturday that workers at the world's busiest airport and their families will be affected if the partial federal government shutdown continues.
Federal workers including Transportation Security Administration officers, Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controllers and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers are considered essential workers and are working without pay.
Some airports have been affected by an increase in Transportation Security Administration workers calling in sick, CNN reported. The TSA workers' union says New York's John F. Kennedy, Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham and Dallas-Fort Worth airports have been affected, according to CNN.
TSA on its Twitter account acknowledged that the issue began over the holidays and has increased but is "causing minimal impact." Still, wait times could be affected "depending on the number of call outs."
The shutdown began last month, but most federal workers were paid Dec. 28. Their next paycheck is scheduled for Jan. 11, and they face the risk of missing a paycheck if the shutdown continues, according to WSB Radio's Jamie Dupree.
Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is offering free parking to TSA employees during the federal shutdown. TSA workers in uniform can park on level 4 of the North daily parking deck for free by presenting their employee badge to the CT30 cashier at the exit, according to the city of Atlanta’s Department of Aviation.
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