March 13, 2026 — Across major U.S. airports, airlines reported 6,282 flight disruptions, including 569 cancellations and 5,713 delays, on the first day of peak Spring Break travel, stranding thousands of passengers amid a partial Department of Homeland Security shutdown.
The disruptions, tracked by FlightAware, stemmed from unpaid wages for about 61,000 TSA agents—their first full paycheck missed that day—causing high call-out rates, staff shortages, low morale and over 300 quits. Spring Break demand, projected at 171 million travelers from March to April, combined with severe weather including Midwest snow, East Coast tornadoes and West Coast turbulence, exacerbated the chaos. Global Entry services restarted on March 11 after a 17-day pause.
Most Affected Airports
Denver International Airport (DEN) recorded 779 disruptions, with 37 cancellations and 742 delays; airport officials appealed for grocery and gas donations for unpaid TSA staff. LaGuardia (LGA) had 507 disruptions, including 135 cancellations and 372 delays, with lengthy security lines. Newark Liberty (EWR) saw 367 disruptions (100 cancellations, 267 delays). Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta (ATL) faced 404 disruptions (19 cancellations, 385 delays) and lines up to three hours, expecting 250,000 Spring Break passengers.
Other airports including Charlotte (659 disruptions), Chicago O’Hare (357), Houston Hobby (3.5-hour lines, 53% call-outs), JFK (previously 3-4 hours, 21% call-outs), Austin and New Orleans reported waits of one to three-plus hours.
Hardest-Hit Airlines
Southwest Airlines suffered the most with 1,033 delays and 10 cancellations. American Airlines had 673 delays, United 494 delays and 60 cancellations, Delta 374 delays and 48 cancellations, and Republic 98 cancellations.
Broader Context and Reactions
The shutdown, on day 29 since February 14, has fueled concerns over TSA operations, with mainstream coverage highlighting paycheck impacts and rising absences. Travelers complained of hours-long waits. On X, users including @FoodTravelUSA warned of 3+ hour lines at Hobby, ATL and Orlando, while others noted viral complaints of missed flights and gridlock.
