By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON, March 24 (Reuters) – Delta Air Lines said on Tuesday it would suspend special services for members of Congress, citing the impact of a partial government shutdown that has disrupted U.S. air travel. 

“Due to the impact on resources from the longstanding government shutdown, Delta will temporarily suspend specialty services to members of Congress flying Delta. Next to safety, Delta’s no. 1 priority is taking care of our people and customers, which has become increasingly difficult in the current environment,” the Atlanta-based U.S. air carrier said in a statement.

Delta, like other U.S. airlines, typically provides special services for lawmakers who fly frequently back and forth from Washington and oversee the nation’s air travel system.

Members of Congress will not get airport escorts or VIP treatment for other services like seat upgrades or rebooking, the airline said, though lawmakers will still have access to a special phone line for reservations.  

Travelers have endured hours-long waits at security screening checkpoints in recent days as resignations and absentee rates have risen among Transportation Security Administration employees, who have gone without pay since mid-February, when Congress allowed funding for the Department of Homeland Security to expire due to a dispute over immigration enforcement. President Donald Trump has deployed immigration agents to more than a dozen airports to help with crowd control, over the objections of TSA workers who say they are not properly trained for the job.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian told CNBC last week that it was time to pay TSA workers.

“It’s inexcusable,” Bastian said, noting that TSA officers were forced to miss paychecks last fall as well. “It’s ridiculous to see them being used as political chits. We’re outraged.”

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Andy Sullivan and Mark Porter)

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