NEWBURGH (VINnews) — A Hudson Valley lawmaker on Tuesday questioned why flights were not diverted to New York Stewart International Airport after LaGuardia Airport was shut down for hours following a fatal runway incident.

State Assemblyman Chris Eachus, a Democrat from New Windsor, said the region’s major airports are experiencing significant TSA delays amid staffing issues tied to a partial federal government shutdown, while Stewart remains largely uncongested.

“We’re hearing of folks waiting recently on TSA lines at the three major New York airports for three, 3 ½ hours, some folks missing their flight,” Eachus said. “At Stewart, we have absolutely zero waiting time for TSA.”

Eachus said he was surprised that Stewart, which has available capacity, was not used more as an alternative during the disruption. He suggested that flights could have been routed there and then connected to other destinations.

The comments came as travelers across the country face longer security lines and staffing shortages at major airports, with some passengers reporting extended wait times and missed flights.

Eachus also criticized the deployment of federal immigration enforcement agents at major airports, saying their presence did not appear to address the ongoing delays.