Overview
- Wait times reached up to 3–3.5 hours at Houston Hobby on Sunday, and DHS reported nearly three-hour lines at major airports causing missed flights.
- Longer-than-average lines were also reported at Houston Intercontinental, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Charlotte, with New Orleans advising arrivals at least three hours early.
- Houston Airports urged Hobby passengers to arrive 4–5 hours before departure and said TSA PreCheck could be unavailable; Hobby closed its PreCheck lane on Sunday due to limited staffing.
- Roughly 50,000 TSA screeners are working without pay after DHS funding lapsed on Feb. 13, and officials say the first zero paycheck this week is contributing to rising absences.
- Airlines expect a record 171 million passengers in March–April, and industry groups warn airport delays could worsen if the funding impasse continues through the spring-break peak.