Travelers face lengthy security checkpoint lines at airports like Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport and Philadelphia International Airport, coinciding with busy travel periods and concerns about TSA officer pay. Despite a directive for immediate payment, the impact on airport congestion remains uncertain.
Travelers wait in long security checkpoint lines at George Bush Intercontinental Airport Friday, March 27, 2026, in Houston. Travelers wait in long security checkpoint lines at George Bush Intercontinental Airport Friday, March 27, 2026, in Houston.
A traveler moves in view of an air traffic control tower at Philadelphia International Airport in Philadelphia, Friday, March 27, 2026. A traveler reads a book while waiting in long security checkpoint lines at George Bush Intercontinental Airport Friday, March 27, 2026, in Houston. Travelers wait in long security checkpoint lines at George Bush Intercontinental Airport Friday, March 27, 2026, in Houston. on Friday instructed the Department of Homeland Security to pay TSA officers immediately, although it’s unclear when the impact of that move will start to be felt at airports. The signing came at a busy travel time of the year, with spring breaks at school districts and colleges and the upcoming Passover and Easter holidays.Some passengers with very early flights on Saturday reported having little problem getting through airport security lines. But that may have been an anomaly. Others at some of the busiest airports wrote on social media that security lines were growing exponentially longer by the hour. “We have not previously experienced checkpoint wait times similar to what we are seeing this morning,” Baltimore-Washington International Airport said in aWhile that is welcome news to many, it remains to be seen whether that promise materializes on schedule and if it brings an immediate end to snaking lines at airports. Caleb Harmon-Marshall, a former TSA officer who runs a travel newsletter called Gate Access, said the staffing crisis won’t improve significantly until officers are confident that they won’t be subjected to more skipped paychecks. “If it’s only for a pay period, that’s not enough to bring them back,” Harmon-Marshall said. “It has to be an extended pay for them to come back or want to stay there.”How soon will this help with airport delays? It’s hard to tell. Airports that had passengers standing in screening lines that clogged check-in areas or showing upfor their flights will need to decide whether to reopen checkpoints or expedite service lanes they closed or consolidated due to inadequate staffing. A handful of airports experienced daily TSA officer call-out rates of 40%. Nationwide on Thursday, more than 11.8% of the TSA employees on the schedule missed work, the most so far, DHS said Friday. Nearly 500 of the agency’s nearly 50,000 officers have quit since the shutdown started, according to DHS.Many airports on Saturday urged passengers to allow at least four hours for both domestic and international screenings. “Wait times can change quickly based on passenger volume and TSA staffing,” according to an advisory posted Saturday morning on the website of John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. Wait times listed on the MyTSA mobile app may not be accurate because TSA isn’t actively managing its sites during the shutdown. On third-party websites that track TSA lines, estimated wait times could be outdated during the shutdown if they rely on publicly available data, experts say.What to know about the planned Saturday, March 28 ‘No Kings’ protests in Southern CaliforniaDodger Stadium debuts new food items and selfie spots this season‘No Kings’ turnout in Southern California will help smash records around the nation today, organizers sayLA Metro board chooses K Line northern extension route, connecting South Bay to Hollywood
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