(Photo: Scott Olson, Getty Images)

WASHINGTON -- The Transportation Security Administration announced Friday it would adopt a hiring freeze and reduce overtime spending in response to federal spending cuts -- a move it said could double wait times at checkpoints at the busiest airports.

Travelers won't notice longer waits immediately, the agency said. But because of turnover, it said, it expects slots for 1,000 security officers to be vacant by Memorial Day and 2,600 vacancies by the end of September.

"With TSA staffing levels decreasing over time, we expect that during busy travel periods wait times exceeding 30 to 40 minutes could double at nearly all of the largest airports," the agency said in a statement.

"In addition," it said, "passengers who schedule their travel outside of peak flight schedules and plan to arrive close to their scheduled flight time may see their wait times now reach 30 minutes or more."

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