Shutdown's impact at airports will worsen, says TSA — travelers should 'go early' and 'be patient'

As the U.S. government shutdown persists, airlines are continuing to warn customers of potential schedule changes.

As of Thursday at 3:30 p.m. ET, 4,146 flights within, into or out of the U.S. had been delayed, while 420 had been canceled, according to FlightAware.com.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) implemented a flight reduction plan limiting air travel capacity at 40 airports.

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Acting Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator Adam Stahl told Fox News Digital Thursday that as the shutdown persists, there will continue to be a significant impact on wait times amid officer callouts.

"While [officers are] incredibly dedicated to the mission, security and the American public at large, we are seeing significant impacts of wait times — and that's expected to increase," said Stahl.

Recent wait times at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas, for example, have been more than two hours, he said. "That's going to be consistent across the board if this shutdown continues."

The TSA generally advises travelers to arrive at the airport two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight.

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"We advise folks to continue to arrive early at the checkpoint, consistent with long-standing procedures — two to three hours," said Stahl. "Of course, it can't hurt to show up earlier."

He added that some places may have even longer wait times.

"Particularly in areas that are hard hit, like Houston, LAX, Orlando — we just ask individuals to please be respectful of the checkpoint," said Stahl.

"Please go early, and please be patient with our TSA officers," he added. "They're doing the best they can, again, under difficult circumstances."

Due to demographic patterns, Stahl said every airport is experiencing a different operational work flow — and some periods during the day or night will be better to fly out than others.

"Traditionally, rush hour … in the morning and evening are, of course, busy, [as] business travelers have a high propensity for travel during the week."

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Stahl said that as the shutdown continues, he is concerned about the approaching holidays and the impact on travel.  

"This is going to get worse, particularly with wait times and significant inconvenience for passengers … particularly with Thanksgiving and the holidays coming right around the corner."

Stahl reiterated that there has been "no degradation to security" and that the TSA is taking a variety of actions to mitigate concerns.

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"We have our national deployment office, which is essentially our search force — and we're urging those individuals to particularly [help out in] areas where the callout rates are higher, like Atlanta, Houston, Charlotte," he said.

Stahl said the shutdown is impacting the financial livelihood of TSA employees.

"I heard a story recently a couple of days ago from a young TSA officer, a female TSA officer," said Stahl. "She had $40 in her bank account. She had to choose between paying for diapers for her child and paying for food."

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He added, "It just speaks to the resilience of our workforce, but also to how dire this is financially for them, on a personal level."