A woman traveling hands her travel documents to a TSA officer at Los Angeles International Airport on May 7, 2025.
Frederick J. Brown | AFP | Getty Images
Travelers struggled through hours-long security lines at some airports as officials warned of staffing shortages at the Transportation Security Administration due to the partial government shutdown.
Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport on Sunday urged customers to arrive at least five hours before their flights and warned that security wait times could exceed three hours.
Due to the partial government shutdown, TSA employees are working but not receiving regular paychecks.
During the 2018-2019 government shutdown, TSA calls increased, some checkpoints were closed, and screening lines became longer. It ended hours after flights were cut on the East Coast due to a shortage of air traffic controllers. However, the current closure only affects Department of Homeland Security employees, including TSA employees.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, two of the world’s busiest, said travelers should arrive at least three hours in advance to account for disruptions.
“Due to the partial shutdown of the federal government, there is a shortage of TSA officers at security checkpoints,” New Orleans Airport said in a post by X. “We have staff at the airport to assist with line control, and we will continue to coordinate with our federal partner, TSA, to address this issue.”
Sunday’s disruption shook the airline industry and travelers just as the busy spring break travel period begins.
“Airlines have done their part to prepare, and now Congress and the administration must act with urgency to reach an agreement to reopen DHS and end this shutdown,” said Chris Sununu, CEO of Airlines for America, a trade group representing airlines. american airlines, delta airlines, southwest airlines, united airlinesIt said in a statement. “America’s transportation security personnel are too important to be used as a political tool.”
The disruption comes as airlines grapple with the fallout from the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, which have led to thousands of canceled flights and soaring fuel costs, the country’s biggest expense after staff costs.
