TSA wait times create lengthy airport lines as government shutdown drags on

Travelers across the US are experiencing massive delays at airports, with TSA wait times reported as long as 3.5 hours as the partial government shutdown continues to disrupt operations.

The Department of Homeland Security is currently experiencing a lapse in funding, leaving TSA agents receiving partial paychecks and potentially facing a halt in pay entirely if the shutdown continues. On February 17, the TSA website and mobile app paused operations, saying the site “will not be updated until after funding is enacted.” 

According to a report by Fox News, a TSA spokesperson said on Monday that the staff managing the website and app were furloughed. “Some individual airports track [security line] wait times, [so] we would point them [in] that direction,” the spokesperson said.

Airports in some areas are advising passengers to arrive up to four hours before their scheduled departure time to account for longer security screening lines. TSA has urged travelers to arrive “as early as possible,” to avoid missing their flight.

“As staffing constraints arise, TSA will evaluate on a case-by-case basis and adjust operations accordingly,” the spokesperson added. A notice on the TSA website also warns that “Information on this website may not be up-to-date. Transactions submitted via this website might not be processed, and we will not be able to respond to inquiries until after appropriations are enacted.”

Should the shutdown continue, wait times are expected to grow even longer. In a travel advisory issued last week, JetBlue warned that the “shutdown could result in longer wait times for TSA security screenings, including for TSA PreCheck customers.”

“We recommend arriving at least 3 hours before your scheduled departure time for domestic flights, and at least 4 hours for international flights, to avoid issues making your flight,” the airline added.