Houston Hobby Airport reported average wait times of 3.5 hours at one point on Sunday, with averages settling at three hours by 6 p.m. (2300 GMT).
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport urged travelers on Sunday to arrive a minimum of three hours prior to their scheduled departure and cautioned that these delays could persist throughout the week.
“The TSA is facing staffing shortages at the security checkpoint, leading to unusually long lines,” the airport noted in a social media update.
Returning to Boston, Eliana Patterson described the lengthy security lines at the New Orleans airport, which wound around the terminal and out into a nearby parking lot. “My flight’s been delayed, but had it not been, I would have been a bit anxious.”
The TSA indicated that extended 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.
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Several airports indicated increased absenteeism among TSA officials on Sunday.
Funding for the Department of Homeland Security lapsed on February 13 after Congress failed to negotiate immigration enforcement reform, leading to operational funding cessation for various government agencies, including the TSA, which resulted in approximately 50,000 TSA airport security screeners working without pay.
“Travelers are experiencing TSA wait times of almost three hours at some major airports, resulting in missed flights and significant delays during peak travel periods,” stated the DHS.
On Sunday, a consortium representing major US airlines pointed out that the lengthy security lines were resulting in flight delays and passengers missing their flights.
“Congress and the administration need to act swiftly to finalize a deal to reopen DHS and terminate this shutdown. America’s transportation security workforce is too vital to be leveraged for political gain,” remarked Chris Sununu, CEO of Airlines for America.
Airlines anticipate a record-breaking spring travel season, with 171 million passengers expected to fly, reflecting a 4% increase compared to the same two-month period last year.
Spring-break travel will intensify just as TSA workers are set to receive their first paycheck of zero dollars on March 13, Sununu noted.
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% increase in departures compared to the same timeframe in 2024.
(Edited by : Juviraj Anchil)
