US airlines sound alarm as key travel programs paused
A group of major U.S. airlines says the U.S. Department of Homeland Security gave passengers little warning ahead of the temporary suspension of PreCheck and Global Entry programs because most institutions were closed.
The shutdown of programs run by the department will begin early Sunday, following a partial shutdown last week after Republicans and Democrats failed to agree on reforms to enforce immigration.
“Airlines for America is deeply concerned that the traveling public is once again being used as a political football during another government shutdown,” said Chris Sununu, chief executive of the trade association and lobby group.
He said in a statement that “news of the suspension came to passengers extremely quickly, giving them little time to plan accordingly” and called on Congress to “make a deal.”
A similar shutdown in 2025 would cause US$6.1 billion ($8.6 billion) in losses to the travel industry and related sectors, it said.
“TSA and Customs and Border Protection are prioritizing the general travis (Transportation Routing and Vehicle Information System) population at our airports and ports of entry and suspending courtesy and special privilege escorts,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.
“We are making difficult but necessary workforce and resource decisions to mitigate the damage,” he told Reuters.
The pause in programs was among the emergency measures the department took to redirect staffing more than a week after Congress failed to send it more money, the Washington Post said.
TSA said PreCheck has more than 20 million active members in 2024, and total airline passengers screened across the department’s traveler programs, including Global Entry, exceed 40 million.
The PreCheck program allows approved travelers to pass through a special, faster security lane at U.S. airports and is designed to reduce wait times and streamline screening.
Global Entry expedites U.S. customs and immigration clearance for pre-approved, low-risk international travelers entering the United States.
Sunday’s moves followed the Trump administration’s instructions to another member of the department, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to suspend the deployment of aid workers to affected areas because of the shutdown.
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