Bay Area airports run smooth amid national TSA shortages

Airports in the Bay Area are still running smoothly despite the ongoing Department of Homeland Security shutdown, which is causing Transportation Security Administration staffing shortages across the country.

TSA workers have gone without paychecks for over a month now. At Oakland International Airport, spokesperson Kaley Skantz said they've been working with the Alameda County Community Food Bank and airport vendors to provide meals to TSA staff during the shutdown.

But at San Francisco International Airport, staffing levels and wait times remain unaffected because it employs private security officers who are still getting paid.

"As a result, we’ve had no excessive security checkpoint line waits during this period," SFO spokesperson Doug Yakel said.

And at San Jose International, wait times are still less than 10 minutes.

Many smaller airports in places like Concord and Napa are also not affected because they fly non-commercial planes and are not required to use TSA.

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