TSA Staff Shortages Hit US Airports
U.S. airports are experiencing hours-long security lines due to TSA staff shortages linked to a partial government shutdown. Travelers through Houston, New Orleans, Atlanta, and other major hubs are advised to arrive more than three hours early to avoid missing flights.
The current disruption stems from a partial government shutdown that began on February 14, 2026, when Congress failed to pass a funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The stalemate is rooted in a dispute over federal immigration enforcement policies. Approximately 50,000 TSA officers are deemed "essential" and must work without pay. Having already received only partial pay, these employees are now facing their first completely missed paycheck, leading to what the DHS calls "financial hardship, absences, and crippling staffing shortages." This situation is unfolding during a record-breaking spring break travel season, with an estimated 171 million passengers expected to fly, a 4% increase from the previous year. The combination of peak travel volume and reduced staff is a primary driver of the extensive delays. This isn't the first time a shutdown has impacted TSA operations. A 43-day shutdown in 2025 resulted in a 25% increase in TSA officers leaving the agency. During the 2018-2019 shutdown, the call-out rate for TSA screeners reportedly tripled, a factor that helped pressure lawmakers to end that impasse. While air traffic controllers are funded under a separate bill and are being paid, preventing the widespread flight cancellations seen in a previous shutdown, the current long security lines are causing some passengers to miss their flights. Trade groups like Airlines for America are urging a swift resolution. CEO Chris Sununu stated, "America's transportation security workforce is too important to be used as political leverage."
