US official warns small airports could soon shut down over TSA absences

FILE PHOTO: Passengers enter the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) 'PreCheck' line at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues to go unfunded, in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., March 16, 2026. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper/File Photo

March 19 (Reuters) - ⁠U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean ⁠Duffy warned Thursday that if ‌a partial government shutdown continues small airports could soon shut down as ​50,000 airport security officers ⁠go without ⁠pay.

Duffy said in a CNBC interview ⁠that ‌if the standoff continues into next week, ⁠the government might have to take ​extraordinary ‌steps.