BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Some early morning flights at Buffalo Niagara International Airport faced delays Friday as federal staffing shortages created long lines that snaked around the departures terminal, though conditions improved by afternoon.
Dan and Cindy Wright arrived at the airport to pick up their daughter, worried her flight from Florida might be delayed due to the morning chaos.
"That's what we were worried about with my daughter flying in from Florida, it doesn't make sense really," Dan Wright said.
FAA documents show at least seven cities, including Washington D.C., Boston, Chicago and Orlando, dealt with early morning staffing issues on Friday.
The FAA said there have been increased staffing shortages across the system.
WATCH: Federal staffing shortages caused long security lines at Buffalo Niagara International Airport Friday morning
Despite the nationwide problems, some travelers who arrived later in the day experienced smoother conditions.
Dan Naparstek's family flew in from Boston and said they played it safe by arriving early.
"We arrived a little early to the airport, anticipating that things might get delayed a little bit, but we went right through TSA," he said.
Claudia and Carola Desjardins also traveled from Boston to Buffalo and had a better experience than expected.
"Today we had a lot better of a day traveling from Boston into Buffalo," Claudia said. "We got an email in the morning about construction on the runway, but nothing. We took off fine."
While some travelers avoided problems, data shows thousands of others faced disruptions nationwide.
Data shows that more than 3,500 flights were delayed on Friday, while hundreds more were canceled.
According to the TSA, the ongoing government shutdown could worsen conditions if it continues. A TSA spokesperson provided the following statement:
“Approximately 61,000 of the agency’s 64,000 employees are considered excepted or exempt and TSA will continue operations to keep the travelling public safe. While TSA is prepared to continue screening about 2.5M passengers a day, an extended shutdown could mean longer wait times at airports. We kindly ask for our passengers’ patience during this time. Despite this challenge, we will remain vigilant and focused on performing our vital security mission on behalf of the American people. TSA has not experienced any delay in operations due to callouts, and remains fully capable of facilitating safe and secure travel for passengers.”
Naparstek expressed hope the situation would improve soon.
"It doesn't look pleasant; it's just unfortunate how long it is to get through. Just waiting for cooler heads to prevail and hopefully this ends soon," he said.
A FAA spokesperson was unavailable for comment, but the administration provided the following in an automatic email response:
"Due to a lapse in funding, the FAA is not responding to routine media inquiries. As Secretary Duffy has said, there have been increased staffing shortages across the system. When that happens, the FAA slows traffic into some airports to ensure safe operations."
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