TSA Delays: Which Airports Have Long Lines and How to Check

If there’s anything that can bring Americans together to demand government action, it’s long lines at airport security.

Those lines persisted at airports across the US this week as a partial government shutdown 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.

Airports are now telling passengers to arrive up to three hours early to clear security in time for their flights.

The TSA on Sunday called on Congress to resolve the impasse over the immigration enforcement policies that have left the DHS unfunded for a month. The agency said hundreds of unpaid agents have quit.

As many as 10% of all TSA agents called out on Sunday, according to the DHS, with absence rates as high as 20% in some airports.

“3+ hour TSA lines for travelers. 300+ TSA officers who have quit. A $0 paycheck for those continuing to serve. Enough is enough,” the agency said in an X post on Saturday.

If issues persist, one senior TSA official said smaller airports may even be forced to close.

“Frankly, there’s not much else we can do,” Adam Stahl, the acting deputy administrator of the Transportation Security Administration, said Tuesday on Fox News’ “FOX & Friends.”

“As the weeks continue, if this continues, it’s not hyperbole to suggest that we may have to quite literally shut down airports, particularly smaller ones.”

By Wednesday morning, lengthy lines were still present at several airports, though they had calmed at some locations that had seen them over the weekend.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world’s busiest by passenger numbers, was still seeing long lines at some checkpoints on Wednesday morning, with one line stretching over 40 minutes. By Wednesday evening, the longest wait time was 20 minutes.

This was significantly shorter than the worst lines seen earlier in the week. On Tuesday, Atlanta had lines as long as 100 minutes at some domestic security checkpoints, having seen waits of up to 2 hours over the weekend.

In a Wednesday X post, the airport encouraged travelers to allow extra time for screening and to arrive at least 3 hours before their flight.

In an X post on Tuesday, the airport said there was 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.

Lines at some checkpoints at JFK, the New York area’s biggest airport, were close to 30 minutes, while waits at LaGuardia and Newark exceeded 20 minutes. Waits at all three airports were 15 minutes or less on Wednesday evening.

At Dallas-Fort Worth, wait times varied by checkpoint, ranging from over 50 minutes to as little as 2 minutes.

At Denver, the US’s 4th-busiest airport, lines were as long as 27 minutes early this morning, but shortened later in the day.

To ensure passengers clear security in plenty of time, many airports are telling passengers to leave longer than usual to get through. Dallas-Fort Worth Airport told travelers to allow at least 2 hours for domestic flights, while Austin advised leaving 2.5 to 3 hours.

Some airports have so far avoided the hourslong queues. Business Insider’s Taylor Rains flew out of Las Vegas on Monday and saw minimal TSA lines.

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 wait times

The easiest way to avoid the stress of missing your flight is to arrive as early as you can. Many airports are advising travelers this week to arrive up to three hours before their flight.

To check TSA wait times, many airports, including major hubs like Atlanta, Houston, JFK, Newark, Philadelphia, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Denver, post them live on their websites.

These can also provide more specific insights. For example, DFW’s website shows the wait times at each checkpoint.

While broadly reliable, some airport websites aren’t always accurate.

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.