Long lines are forming at some TSA checkpoints as the ongoing partial government shutdown now meets spring break.
Numerous airports are telling passengers to allow longer than usual to clear security, as staff shortages cause more congestion and longer lines.
Some 50,000 TSA agents went without their first paycheck this week as the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the TSA, remains unfunded due to a congressional battle over its immigration enforcement policies. At the same time, many Americans have begun traveling for their weeklong spring break.
Demoralizing lines at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport continued on Saturday morning. The airport on Friday told travelers to arrive up to three hours before their flight. Photos and videos shared by travelers online showed lines stretching from the terminal building into the parking lot.
Ava Brendgord, a reporter for local NBC affiliate, KXAN News, shared a video of the line snaking out of the building at around 5 a.m. local time on Friday morning. Similar scenes played out on Saturday.
Though waits were nowhere near the three hours some passengers experienced at Houston Hobby Airport last weekend, there was significant congestion at some airports on Friday and Saturday. One Business Insider employee traveling from LaGuardia on Friday saw a lengthy line, and at JFK, wait times exceeded 20 minutes at most TSA screening points.
Atlanta Airport, the world’s busiest by passenger numbers, said it expects to serve 250,000 travelers this weekend, and advised people to arrive three hours early.
How to check wait times
Cadie Thompson/Business Insider
The easiest way to avoid the stress of missing your flight is to arrive as early as you can. Many airports are advising travelers this week to arrive up to three hours before their flight.
To check TSA wait times, many airports, including major hubs like Atlanta, Houston, JFK, Newark, Philadelphia, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Denver, post them live on their websites.
These can also provide more specific insights. For example, DFW’s website shows the wait times at each checkpoint.
You can also use the MyTSA mobile app. It provides estimated wait times in 15-minute intervals based on average checkpoint data. The app, however, will use historical data if the live data cannot be retrieved. The TSA also says it is not “actively” managing its sites during the partial shutdown, and so the app may not always be updated.
