Airport queues show flow problems

Security lines at Newark Liberty International Airport stretched to 34 minutes at Terminal C on April 12, with shorter waits elsewhere in the airport. (ibtimes.com.au) The airport’s live dashboard showed Terminal C at 34 minutes for the main general-security lane and 7 minutes for Transportation Security Administration PreCheck at midday Sunday, April 12. Terminal A was listed at 6 minutes for general screening and 1 minute for PreCheck, while Terminal B ranged from 3 to 21 minutes depending on gate cluster. (ibtimes.com.au) Newark’s own security page says wait times still fluctuate even as Transportation Security Administration staffing “begins to stabilize,” and it warns that staff are monitoring lines that extend beyond checkpoint entrances. The airport tells passengers to allow extra time. (newarkairport.com) The split between terminals tracks how Newark is built. Terminal C handles much of United Airlines’ hub traffic, including many international and transcontinental flights, while Terminal A is the airport’s newer terminal with a redesigned checkpoint and automated bin and sensor systems meant to move passengers faster. (ibtimes.com.au) (panynj.gov) The pressure is not limited to Newark. In testimony to Congress on February 11, the Transportation Security Administration said passenger volumes hit record highs in 2025, with eight of the 10 busiest travel days on record occurring that year, and said it screened 906.7 million passengers. (tsa.gov) In separate testimony on March 25, the agency said it screens around 3 million passengers on peak days and warned that funding disruptions were reducing operating capacity and increasing waits at some airports. The same testimony said more than 61,000 Transportation Security Administration employees are deemed essential and that many had worked without timely pay during the 2026 funding lapse. (tsa.gov) The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is still spending heavily on the airport. Its proposed 2026–2035 capital plan, released in November 2025, includes a new Terminal B and a new AirTrain at Newark as part of a broader airport overhaul. (panynj.gov) At Terminal A, the Port Authority says dynamic queue signage, adjustable queue zones, automated bin sequencing, and new screening equipment were designed to cut checkpoint delays. Those tools can speed the line, but they do not remove the need for enough officers to staff the checkpoint. (panynj.gov) (tsa.gov) For travelers, the practical result is uneven waits inside the same airport: a few minutes in one terminal, more than half an hour in another. Newark’s posted advice on April 12 was simple—check the live dashboard and build in extra time before heading to the checkpoint. (newarkairport.com) (ibtimes.com.au)