The months long partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security is causing major backups at airports across the country as TSA agents go unpaid for the second time in a year.
For travelers, that means long lines and worker shortages with some airports telling passengers to arrive up to three hours early to get through security.
"3+ hour TSA lines for travelers. 300+ TSA officers who have quit. A $0 paycheck for those continuing to serve. Enough is enough," the largely partisan TSA X account posted on Saturday.
The DHS is one of the largest departments in the government covering everything from the TSA to FEMA to the Coast Guard and ICE. The partial shutdown is occurring over a political battle of wills over the funding and actions of ICE which has resulted in the deaths of US citizens across the country.
Unfortunately, much of DHS is considered essential to running the country meaning people employed by agencies like the TSA are having to work unpaid. According to the Senate Appropriations website, Senate Republicans have blocked funding to key components of DHS, including the TSA, at least six times in the last week. CNBC reports that a counteroffer was sent by Senate Democrats to the White House today (March 17) in an attempt to reopen the department.
But what if you're an average citizen just trying to get on a flight. Well, here are a few tips to help you check wait times before you travel.
Follow social accounts for airports and airlines
Before you travel, consider following the social media accounts for your local airport as well as the airlines you'll be flying with.
For example, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world's busiest airport by passenger numbers, has an X account, ATLairport. That account recently suggested that travelers arrive at least 3 hours before their scheduled departure.
According to TSA projections, ATL expects over 250K travelers from today through Sunday.To help ensure a smooth travel experience, keep these tips in mind.Visit https://t.co/yJ286TXZPq for more resources. pic.twitter.com/XfUDi7MdulMarch 13, 2026
Most of the major airports have some kind of social presence, whether its on X, Instagram, and, in some cases, Bluesky. For example, Hartsfield-Jackson has a Bluesky account, if you prefer that over X.
The same goes for all of the major airlines like American, Delta or United.
Following these accounts will give you more up-to-date information on whats happening on the specific airports or anything affecting airline travel, like the recent storms that have impacted travel on the East Coast.
Airline |
X (Twitter) Handle |
Bluesky/Instagram |
|---|---|---|
American Airlines |
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Delta Air Lines |
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Southwest Airlines |
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United Airlines |
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Alaska Airlines |
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JetBlue |
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Spirit Airlines |
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Frontier Airlines |
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Ryanair |
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Emirates |
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Lufthansa |
How to check wait times
Beyond arriving early and hoping for a smooth security line, there are tools you can utilize to check on wait times.
Most major airports post the security wait times on their websites. FlyLAX, the site for the Los Angeles International Airport, has a page dedicated to wait times for General Boarding and TSA PreCheck.
I've found that wait times aren't always prominently available when you visit the websites. So you may need to search on the site itself using the term "wait time" or "security wait time." You can also use Google, or your search engine of choice, and search your airport like "LGA TSA wait times" to get to the page.
Some websites are better than others. The Dallas-Fort Worth site shows specific wait times for each checkpoint, not just an overall time.
Additionally, you can download the MyTSA app. The app provides estimated wait times based on average checkpoint data. This is refreshed every 15 minutes. That said, the TSA has said it is not "actively" managing its sites or social accounts during the partial shutdown, so it may not be the most up-to-date.
Flight tracking sites
There are several websites and apps that track flights. These platforms don't track TSA lines specifically, but they do show airport congestion, departure patterns and flight delays.
So, if you see a pile up of flight delays at Dulles in D.C., you can use that information to get an idea of how backed up the airport might be. Which could mean longer security lines.
Platforms to check out include FlightAware and Flightradar24 .
Safe travels, and take some deep breaths so you don't lose your mind.
