TSA Shortages Cause Long Security Lines at U.S. Airports

Travelers at major U.S. airports faced security lines stretching up to three hours on Sunday, as staffing shortages at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints disrupted operations during the busy spring break travel season. The delays, most severe at William P. Hobby Airport in Houston and Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, stemmed from a partial government shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security that began in mid-February, leaving about 50,000 TSA screeners working without pay.

At Hobby Airport, wait times peaked at around three and a half hours early in the day, with lines snaking through terminals, down stairs, and into baggage claim areas. Airport officials urged passengers to arrive four to five hours before flights, noting that even expedited options like TSA PreCheck were sometimes unavailable due to limited staff. In New Orleans, queues extended from security checkpoints across ticketing areas and into the parking garage, with waits reaching two hours at times. Officials there recommended arriving at least three hours early and warned that delays could persist through the week.

The Transportation Security Administration attributed the...