Travelers at John F. Kennedy International Airport faced significantly longer-than-normal TSA security lines on Friday, March 27, 2026, as the ongoing partial government shutdown continued to cause staffing shortages and unpredictable delays at one of the nation's busiest gateways.
Official wait time reporting on the JFK airport website remained suspended, with a prominent alert warning that security lines "may be significantly longer than normal" due to the federal funding lapse and fluctuating TSA staffing levels. Third-party trackers and traveler reports indicated average standard security waits ranging from 60 to 83 minutes or more during peak periods, with some earlier days in the week seeing lines stretch to 90 minutes or beyond in PreCheck lanes and up to several hours in general lines at certain terminals.
