Acting deputy TSA administrator Adam Stahl says the agency is concerned about the growing number of sick calls among TSA officers, which is leading to long security lines at airports across the country.
"If the call rate does climb, there could be scenarios where we may have to shut down airports," he told CBS News. "This is a serious situation."
Stahl said the situation will get worse the longer the agency and the Department of Homeland Security don't receive funding. "This will not get better," he said.
Hundreds of TSA officers have quit, while the 50,000 who are going to work are living without pay.
In Atlanta, over 37% of TSA officers called out sick on Monday, according to the agency, closing one of the checkpoints at the world's busiest airport.
Wait times topped two hours in Atlanta on Tuesday and were at least 103 minutes at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.
As staffing drops, more TSA screening lanes will close, and from there, entire checkpoints – making lines and wait times at airports even longer.
Three of the six checkpoints at the Philadelphia airport will be closed on Wednesday.
Our people are hurting," Stahl said. "We have individuals sleeping in their cars, drawing blood to afford to pay for gas to get to work."
Airport closures, however, did not seem imminent as of early Wednesday – a scenario that is more plausible at small airports.
TSA sick calls have been surging since officers missed a paycheck Friday due to the month-long partial government shutdown. Monday saw the most yet, with more than 10% of officers nationwide calling out – fives times more than a typical day.