Atlanta airport tells passengers to arrive 3 hours early to clear security

ATLANTA — Lines are moving a lot faster at the world's busiest airport, but that wasn't the case for travelers earlier Monday.

[PHOTOS: Long lines at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport]

Some passengers complained of wait times lasting several hours, with lines stretching from security through the atrium and baggage claim most of the morning.

Airport officials are now warning passengers to arrive at least three hours early to get through security.

With the partial government shutdown, TSA workers are currently not getting paid, but no officials would attribute the delays to the government shutdown, currently in its 24th day. Hundreds of federal workers missed their first paycheck on Friday.

"This morning we saw our normal rush of the thousands of passengers who were screening on through, plus we think there may have been a few call outs. You'll have to talk to TSA about potential call outs but the combination of the two led to longer than normal lines," airport spokesperson Andrew Gobeil told Channel 2's Nicole Carr.

Carr followed developments throughout the day at Hartsfield-Jackson, where air traffic controllers spoke personally with passengers.

"The message isn't 'Hey, this might happen.' It's real. The shutdown's gotta end. It's no longer a political issue now. It's a human issue," controller Dan McCade told Carr.

As the morning went on, lines improved slightly, but wait times were still more than an hour, according to people in line.

When asked about the issues on Twitter, the Atlanta airport directed travelers to contact the Transportation Safety Administration about the lines.

A TSA official tweeted that they are exercising a contingency plan.

Carr reached out to several airlines, who reported minimal rebookings but encouraged passengers to continue arriving as early as possible.

Delta also responded to customers, telling them they are working with the TSA and the Department of Homeland Security to help "minimize potential impact."

Cox Media Group