“Due to an increased number of TSA screeners not reporting to work, we have decided to take this precautionary step and relocate about 12 flights to adjoining concourses in the afternoons,” Miami International airport spokesman Greg Chin said Thursday.
CNN reports that security checkpoints in concourse G will be closed after 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Chin told the Miami Herald that federal screeners are calling in sick at double the normal rate for Miami, and TSA managers aren’t confident they will have enough workers to operate all 11 checkpoints throughout the airport at normal hours.
Concourse G is located in the Central (Yellow) Terminal. It’s 15 gates service United Airlines, Aruba Airlines, Bahamasair, Eastern Airlines, Frontier Airlines, and Sun Country.
A United spokeswoman issued a statement assuring passengers won’t be impacted by closure of Concourse G:
We will work to ensure we do everything we can for our customers, and we do not expect any operational impact.
Chin noted that Concourse G has the lowest traffic at Miami International Airport, handling approximately 3% of the 450 average daily departing flights. Only twelve airplanes typically depart from Concourse G after 1 p.m. and the concourse is not used for international arrivals.
Despite assurances, passengers at Miami International Airport are already reporting delays.
Ive been sitting on the floor at the Miami airport customs line for two hours now because every single TSA post is closed. #ShutdownStories
— Isabel Perez (@isabelperezmusi) January 7, 2019
The line for TSA at MIA was an HOUR LONG. RIP.
— Patricia Colon (@colon_patriciaa) January 8, 2019