Spring travel snarled by TSA gridlock
U.S. airports are hitting major spring-break crowds and TSA officers working without pay amid the partial shutdown are stretching security lines — travelers are being urged to arrive earlier than usual [](https://npr.org/2026/03/13/nx-s1-5744648/as-partial-shutdown-drags-on-morning-edition-checks-out-tsa-lines-at-3-airports). With earlier arrivals and tighter connections, expect longer security waits and possible missed connections if you don’t build in buffer time.
The Department of Homeland Security funding lapse began Feb. 14 federalnewsnetwork.com, and tens of thousands of DHS employees — including large numbers of screeners — officially missed full paychecks on March 13. wlrn.org Unscheduled absences among TSA officers increased to roughly 6.16% from a normal ~2%, according to agency statistics, and more than 300 officers have left the agency since mid‑February. abcnews.com Security waits topped about 3.5 hours at Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport on March 8, with Reuters reporting three‑hour averages at several hubs that day, while Airlines for America projects roughly 171 million passengers will fly between March 1 and April 30. usnews.com The Senate failed to advance DHS funding on March 12 — a procedural setback (51–46 reported in recent coverage) — leaving the partial shutdown and its operational strains unresolved. msn.com
