Houston Hobby Airport reported that wait times averaged 3-1/2 hours at one point on Sunday, and by 6 p.m. (2300 GMT), the average wait had dropped to three hours.
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport urged passengers to arrive at least three hours ahead of their scheduled flight and cautioned that delays might persist throughout the week.
“The TSA is facing a workforce shortage at the security checkpoint, resulting in longer-than-usual lines,” the airport mentioned in a social media post.
Eliana Patterson, returning to Boston, noted that security lines at the New Orleans airport twisted through the terminal and spilled out into a nearby parking lot. “My flight has been delayed, but had it not been, I would have been quite anxious.”
The TSA indicated that longer wait times were also observed at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina, and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Also Read: Mojtaba Khamenei is Iran’s new Supreme Leader
On Sunday, numerous airports reported a spike in absences among TSA personnel.
Funding for the Department of Homeland Security expired on February 13 after Congress couldn’t agree on immigration enforcement reforms requested by Democrats. This led to halted operational funding for various government agencies, including the TSA, affecting about 50,000 TSA airport security screeners who are currently working without pay.
“Travelers are encountering TSA lines extending nearly three hours at some major airports, resulting in missed flights and significant delays during peak travel,” the DHS stated.
On Sunday, a coalition representing major US airlines expressed that the lengthy security lines were resulting in flight delays and passengers missing their flights.
“Congress and the administration need to act quickly to reach a resolution that reopens DHS and ends this shutdown. America’s transportation security workforce is essential and should not be used as a bargaining chip,” remarked Chris Sununu, CEO of Airlines for America.
Airlines are projecting a record-breaking spring travel season, with 171 million passengers expected to fly, a 4% increase compared to the same two-month period last year.
Spring-break travel is set to surge just as TSA workers receive their first zero paycheck on March 13, according to Sununu.
Ha Nguyen McNeill, the TSA’s top official, informed Congress last month that approximately 1,110 transportation security officers departed the TSA in October and November 2025 following a 43-day government shutdown, marking a more than 25% rise in departures compared to the corresponding period in 2024.
(Edited by : Juviraj Anchil)
