Passenger Linda McSwain waits with her daughter in the lobby of the Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers airport.
They drove more than 2.5 hours from Laurel and it would be more than 2.5 hours before their flight.
“I took it upon myself to get here early because I wasn't sure how getting through TSA would be,” McSwain said. “Better safe than sorry.”
Shamira Muhammad
Jackson travelers urged to arrive at airport 3 hours early
It’s been more than a month since the Department of Homeland Security has been funded. That means that agents for the Transportation Security Administration at Jackson’s airport have gone without a full paycheck, and some have called out sick for their shifts. Travelers are advised to arrive at the airport at least 3 hours ahead of flights.
“We had to drive in from Laurel and we just decided to get here early, because you never know,” said McSwain. “We had to drop off a rental car. I just wanted to make sure we got through TSA quickly.”
This particular morning, TSA lines at the airport looked pretty clear.
Director of Communications for the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority LSherie Dean credited TSA agents for how smoothly things are going. She said 118 agents are typically on shift during the morning, a busier time. But, she said “working without a check is hard.” That number has gone down to 80 on some days.
Still, a typical wait through Jackson airport’s security hasn't exceeded 30 minutes.
“Our typical wait time through TSA is about 15 to 20 minutes, which is still really good,” Dean said. “It's nothing like what you're seeing on CNN and some of the other networks that are showcasing the airports and those ridiculously scary long lines.”
Dean said the airport is trying to give back to agents.
“We've partnered with the Mississippi Food Network to bring in over 200 boxes of food to go towards our TSA team,” she said.
Several employees of the National Weather Service held a free lunch for TSA agents.
Chad Entremont is a Meteorologist in Charge at the National Weather Service in Jackson who made red beans and rice. He’s also a federal employee who remembers last fall’s complete government shutdown.
“It's really tough when you go through one or two pay periods and you don't get your paycheck,” he said. “So we just wanted to give back. We kind of did it in the fall and had everybody come over to the office and kind of have red beans and did lunch then. Right now, TSA is in the shutdown part and we just want to give back.”