I suspect, but it's obviously just a guess, that once security checks commence, a due date might kick in. Hence, the VO might be reluctant to touch the file till there is a window big enough to complete the process. My travel history and that of my hubby is pretty extensive, so I'm not totally surprised that the VO is taking (several) deep breaths before digging into this mammoth task

Ah well, 2019 is upon us, so at the very least, I’m looking at the year it’s all going to fall into place