TSA chaos continues as major airports warn of 4-hour security lines

Travelers stand in long lines snaked through baggage claim at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on March 22, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. Megan Varner/Getty Images

• Delays persist at TSA checkpoints across US airports due to the partial government shutdown.
• Atlanta and Houston's main airports are warning travelers of 4-hour delays.
• Here's the latest on TSA delays, and how to check wait times before you travel.

If you're flying in the US, get ready to stand in line.

Airports across the US are continuing to see lengthy waits at security checkpoints as scores of TSA workers call out due to missed paychecks.

A partial government shutdown has left the Department of Homeland Security and its Transportation Security Administration unfunded and their agents unpaid at the height of the spring break travel season.

As many as 10% of all TSA agents called out on several days last week, DHS updates showed, with absence rates averaging as much as 20% in some airports. A DHS spokesperson told Business Insider that some airports, such as William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, had seen absence rates as high at 40.8%.

"The current unpredictability is being driven by unpredictable staffing levels, basically, how many TSA officers are showing up for work on any given day," Sheldon H. Jacobson, the founder professor of engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and an expert on aviation security and airport security screening, told Business Insider.

As delays mount, more travelers are turning to CLEAR, a biometric identity service that bypasses standard TSA ID checks at around 60 airports.

How long are the TSA delays?

As of Tuesday morning, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world's busiest by passenger numbers, continued to display the following message on its website: "Due to current federal conditions, passengers are advised to allow at least 4 hours or more for domestic and international screenings."

Atlanta has been among the worst-affected airports since the shutdown began, with over a third of TSA staff not showing up on some days.

Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport also had a similar alert on its website on Tuesday, warning customers of delays of 4 hours or more.

JFK, the New York area's largest airport, said on its website that wait times could change rapidly depending on TSA staffing and passenger volume.

"For these reasons, wait time reporting has been temporarily suspended," the airport said. "Please allow for significantly more time and check with your airline for the current status of your flight."

Newark Liberty International Airport is displaying a similar message on its website, stating that security wait times may be "significantly longer than normal" and that wait time reporting has been suspended.

Flights at Newark Airport were also temporarily suspended on Monday after a control tower was evacuated due to smoke.

Some airports have so far avoided the hourslong lines. Business Insider's Taylor Rains flew out of Las Vegas last week and saw minimal TSA lines.

How to check TSA wait times

The easiest way to avoid the stress of missing your flight is to give yourself extra time in the airport. Many airports are advising travelers this week to arrive up to three hours before their flight, even for domestic flights.

Many airports, including major hubs like Atlanta, Houston, JFK, Newark, Philadelphia, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Denver, have been posting TSA wait times live on their websites.

Flying this month? Budget extra time at the airport and consider investing in expedited security lanes. Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images

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.

How long will the TSA delays persist?

"As we get into next week and they're about to miss another payment, this is going to look like child's play, what's happening right now," Duffy said on CNBC.

Some airports could be forced to close, both Duffy and Adam Stahl, the TSA's acting deputy administrator, said.

Airports like Denver and Seattle have asked the public for food, gift cards, and basic supplies to support TSA staff working without pay.