Air travel disruptions are intensifying across the United States as a prolonged Department of Homeland Security funding lapse continues to strain the Transportation Security Administration, raising concerns that smaller airports could face partial or complete shutdowns in the coming weeks.
At major hubs, the impact is already severe.
On Saturday morning, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world’s busiest, reported security wait times exceeding two hours.
Similar delays were seen in New York, where LaGuardia passengers also faced waits of more than two hours, while JFK and Newark reported lines of over 35 minutes.
Nationwide, airports including Houston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Orlando, and Philadelphia have all experienced significant slowdowns, with some security lines stretching beyond three hours.
The staffing crisis stems from widespread absenteeism among TSA officers, many of whom have gone unpaid since the funding lapse began on Feb. 14.
Thousands are calling in sick daily, and at least 376 workers have already resigned, leaving roughly 50,000 officers to manage growing passenger volumes.
The strain is beginning to show operationally where in Phoenix, checkpoints at Sky Harbor’s Terminal 4 were forced to close due to staffing shortages, compounding delays.
"Given today’s situation, we are expecting longer lines and wait times. It is critical to give yourself plenty of extra time."
"Arrive a minimum of two hours before your flight (three if flying internationally) to leave plenty of time to check your bags, get through security, and find your gate.
"More time is better," a Sky Harbor airport spokesperson said Friday.
Flight disruptions are mounting alongside the security bottlenecks.
By midday Saturday, more than 1,300 flights had been delayed nationwide, with dozens of cancellations reported, according to FlightAware data.
TSA leadership is now warning that the situation could deteriorate further.
Acting Deputy Administrator Adam Stahl cautioned that if absentee rates continue to climb, the agency may be forced to scale back or even suspend operations at certain airports.
"It’s not hyperbole to suggest that we may have to quite literally shut down airports, particularly smaller ones, if call-out rates go up," Stahl told CNN this week.
"We make these determinations on an airport-by-airport basis.
"As the weeks continue, our TSA officers, as long as they don’t get paid, they’re going to continue to call out, they can’t afford to come in, and they’re going to quit altogether," said Stahl.
The implications are particularly acute for regional and smaller airports, which operate with thinner staffing margins and less flexibility than major hubs.
While large airports are currently absorbing the disruption through longer lines and delays, smaller facilities may not have the personnel to keep security checkpoints open at all.
A cascading effect could follow, reducing air service for smaller communities and placing additional pressure on already overwhelmed major airports.
For now, travelers are being urged to arrive significantly earlier than usual, at least two hours for domestic flights and three for international departures, but officials warn that even these precautions may not be enough if staffing levels continue to decline.
Without a resolution to the funding impasse, aviation experts say the current disruptions could mark the early stages of a broader breakdown in the nation’s air travel infrastructure, with smaller airports likely to bear the brunt first.
On Saturday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk offered to ease some of the financial burden and help get American airports moving again by paying the salaries of TSA employees until an agreement can be reached in Washington.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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