KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Travelers faced a complicated travel landscape Monday as a crash at LaGuardia, TSA staffing shortages amid the government shutdown and ICE agents deployed to airports created disruptions nationwide.
LaGuardia Airport will remain closed until 2 p.m. following a crash on Monday morning. The closure cancelled seven flights at KCI, leaving some passengers scrambling to rebook or find new connections.
Travelers at KCI said they arrived early to account for potential delays.
“We’re here an hour earlier than normal,” said Vivian VanVleet, who was traveling to California.
Stewart Langer said he arrived early in case of slowdowns. Cayden Green, traveling to Orlando, said his group arrived around 5 a.m. for an 8:30 a.m. flight.
Some travelers said the lines looked longer than usual at KCI.
“It looks like the line’s filling up, so who knows what’s in store,” VanVleet said.
Patrick Naughton, traveling to Virginia Beach, said it seemed a little bit busier.
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But KCI is one of 20 U-S airports that uses a private screening company, not TSA. More than 3,000 TSA workers did not report to work Monday, according to officials, leading to long lines at other airports. Those factors did not affect KCI.
“I’ve got clear to check in, so I’ll be in there and out of there quickly,” Langer said.
Some travelers at other airports reported waiting four hours in line, only to miss their flight.
According to CBS News, ICE agents have been deployed to 14 U.S. airports to help with security, including Chicago O’Hare, Newark and Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta. KCI has not been named among those 14 airports.
“Yeah, not so happy,” Langer said. “They’re not TSA agents, they’re ICE agents, and they don’t belong in the TSA.”
The Trump administration says those agents are focused on helping with crowd control.
Travelers flying Monday are advised to check flight status before leaving for the airport and to allow more time than usual if connecting through a major hub.
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