March 14, 2026 — Major U.S. airports — A partial U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown, now in its second month, has caused severe staffing shortages at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), resulting in hours-long security lines at airports including Austin-Bergstrom, Chicago O’Hare, Houston Hobby, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson and New Orleans Louis Armstrong during the spring break rush.
TSA officers received their first full missed paychecks as of March 13 or 14, leading to doubled callout rates at some sites, over 300 resignations reported at others, and temporary closures of Global Entry and PreCheck lanes. Airports are advising travelers to arrive 3 to 5 hours early.
Affected Airports
Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport reported waits up to 3.5 hours, prompting a recommendation to arrive 4 to 5 hours early, later adjusted to 3-4 hours. New Orleans’ Louis Armstrong International advised 3 hours early, with waits up to 2 hours. Lines at Austin-Bergstrom extended outside the terminal, as shown in traveler videos.
Other impacted sites include Charlotte Douglas, George Bush Intercontinental in Houston, and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, where lines have spilled into parking lots.
Staffing Crisis
“Travelers are facing TSA lines of up to nearly 3 hours long at some major airports, causing missed flights and massive delays during peak travel.”
— Lauren Bis, DHS deputy assistant secretary for public affairs
TSA’s roughly 50,000 to 61,000 screeners are working without full pay amid the funding lapse over immigration issues. Union leader Johnny Jones of AFGE TSA Council 100 called it a “catastrophe for the workforce.”
“It seems like (lawmakers) are having a problem doing their job, which is passing funding bill would allow us to be paid.”
Impact on Airlines and Travelers
Major carriers including American, Delta, Southwest, United and JetBlue report widespread missed flights and cancellations. Airlines for America CEO Chris Sununu stated:
“The shutdown is having very real consequences… Congress and the administration must act with urgency.”
Travelers face chaos during peak season expecting 171 million passengers. JetBlue recommends 3 hours early for domestic, 4 for international.
Traveler Reactions
X posts highlight frustration, with one stating: “airport lines going absolutely haywire, Austin queue surging down the street with hours-long waits.” (Gunther Eagleman)