Delta Air Lines has suspended its “specialty services” to members of Congress because of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown. “Due to the impact on resources from the longstanding government shutdown, Delta will temporarily suspend specialty services to members of Congress flying Delta,” an airline spokesperson told The Hill. “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 spokesperson added. A Delta spokesperson told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that “House and Senate members will now be treated like all flying passengers, according to their SkyMiles status.” NEWS that Congressional staff are not going to like- Delta is suspending its special congressional desk service for members of Congress until the shutdown is over. @ajc https://t.co/q2w4VIkK7p pic.twitter.com/sXnnZFOz4G — Patricia Murphy (@MurphyAJC) March 24, 2026 The Hill shared further: Among the services being suspended are airport escorts and so-called “red coat” services. The Capital Desk, a reservations line, will remain open. The decision, first reported by the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, comes days after the Senate unanimously approved a proposal to end the preferential treatment lawmakers receive at airports, including allowing them to skip the line at security checkpoints. Delta is headquartered in Atlanta, where officials at Hartsfield Jackson International Airport — the world’s busiest airport — have told passengers to allow at least four hours to pass through Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints for domestic and international flights due to “current federal conditions.” ATL airport says arrive for your flight FOUR HOURS early! https://t.co/WzrsnsLF3r — Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) March 23, 2026 Watch some of the chaos at the Atlanta airport below: #BREAKING: COMPLETE INSANITY in the Atlanta Airport as the official website has now suspended ALL POSSIBLE ESTIMATES of current wait times for TSA security as travelers have had to wait sometimes as long as… …6+ HOURS IN LINE!!!! HOW LONG MUST THIS GO ON?!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/9CecsjjNwd — Matt Van Swol (@mattvanswol) March 23, 2026 More from the New York Post: Last week, Delta CEO Ed Bastian delivered a fierce rebuke of Congress for allowing funding for DHS to lapse, which has resulted in Transportation Security Administration employees going without full pay for over a month. Bastian called the situation “inexcusable” and railed against lawmakers for using TSA workers as “political chips.” “It’s inexcusable that our security agents, our frontline agents, that are essential to what we do, are not being paid, and it’s ridiculous to see them being used as political chips,” Bastian told CNBC last Tuesday. “We’re outraged.”