Travelers at several major U.S. airports are experiencing longer TSA wait times as staffing shortages linked to the ongoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown begin to affect airport security operations during the start of the spring break travel season.
According to multiple local news reports, wait times at some airports have stretched to two to three hours, raising concerns across the aviation industry about the operational impact of the federal funding lapse.
Long Lines, Longer Wait Times
At William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, TX, security lines reportedly reached 3 to 3.5 hours on Sunday, with some travelers reporting lines that extended into parking garage areas, according to local media coverage. Meanwhile, Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport advised travelers to arrive at least three hours before their scheduled departure, warning that delays could continue throughout the week as passenger volumes increase.
At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, peak security waits reached about one hour on Sunday before easing later in the day. However, airport officials are preparing for increased passenger volumes as the spring break travel surge continues. George Bush Intercontinental Airport reported average wait times around 51 minutes, shorter than those at Houston’s Hobby Airport but still above typical levels for the facility.
Staffing Pressures at TSA
The situation stems from the ongoing partial shutdown of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees TSA. TSA officers have been working without pay since the shutdown began on Feb. 14, after Congress failed to reach an agreement to extend funding for several federal agencies.
“Today, travelers are facing TSA lines of up to nearly three hours long at some major airports, causing missed flights and massive delays during peak travel,” DHS spokesperson Lauren Bis told Newsweek in a statement.
Airline Industry Response
The situation has drawn concern from airline industry leaders as the travel sector enters one of its busiest periods of the year.
“As TSA officers are facing a $0 paycheck this week, we are seeing firsthand the significant strains that the current DHS shutdown is causing across the aviation system. TSA lines are two and three hours long at some airports, causing flights to be delayed and passengers to miss flights,” said A4A President and CEO Chris Sununu, in an online statement.
Sununu urged lawmakers to resolve the shutdown quickly, noting that the aviation industry is expecting record passenger volumes during the spring travel season. “Congress and the administration must act with urgency to reach a deal that reopens DHS and ends this shutdown,” he stated.
The United States Travel Association’s President and CEO, Geoff Freeman, also issued a statement: “Hours of delays cost travelers time, and with current TSA screening rates and spreading delays, could cost the economy nearly $1 billion. With a record-breaking spring travel season just beginning, TSA officers should not be asked to protect travelers without pay. Congress must act quickly to fund them.”
