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 this week, DHS updates showed, with absence rates averaging as much as 20% in some airports.
Security lines in affected airports are spiking unpredictably from day to day, and sometimes even from hour to hour.
“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.
“TSA officers have historically been cross-trained to do many different tasks, so the number that show up is the key factor,” Jacobson said.
How long are the TSA delays?
Delays at TSA checkpoints across the US have been unpredictable in recent days, with some airports hit much harder and wait times varying from day to day.
On Saturday afternoon, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world’s busiest by passenger numbers, had wait times under 15 minutes. However, some passengers traveling through Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport had to wait up to three hours.
On Friday, the scene in Atlanta was very different. Local meteorologist Ella Dorsey shared footage of huge lines at the airport.
Atlanta has been among the worst-affected airports since the shutdown began, with delays of over 90 minutes on most days this week, and over a third of TSA staff not showing up on some days.
The airport said there had been congestion at the international checkpoint due to domestic travelers trying to bypass long lines in the domestic terminal. The airport said domestic travelers should use the domestic checkpoints.
Taylor Rains/Business Insider
Lines at checkpoints at JFK, the New York area’s biggest airport, ranged between 17 and 30 minutes on Saturday afternoon.
JFK said it has “deployed additional customer care staff into terminals to help manage queues, assist passengers, and keep people moving as efficiently as possible.”
At Newark Liberty International Airport, passengers waited in lines for up to 44 minutes. LaGuardia had the lowest wait times among the major tri-state airports, ranging from “no wait” to four minutes.
Denver, home of the 4th-busiest airport in the US, also had short lines of five minutes or less.
On Saturday afternoon, wait times at Dallas-Fort Worth were capped at 13 minutes. However, those times are expected to rise, based on the airport’s estimates.
Some airports have so far avoided the hourslong lines. Business Insider’s Taylor Rains flew out of Las Vegas on Monday and saw minimal TSA lines.
Taylor Rains/Business Insider
However, the unpredictable nature of the delays means travelers should plan for long waits even if their airport hasn’t yet experienced problems. Airports like Denver and Seattle have asked the public for food, gift cards, and basic supplies to support TSA staff working without pay.
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.
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?
On Thursday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said airport delays could get worse.
“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 even be forced to shut, both Duffy and Adam Stahl, the TSA’s acting deputy administrator, said.
