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- Airport security lines have been on the rise amid a government dispute that blocked TSA paychecks.
- The money will start flowing again this week, but 4-hour lines continue at some airports.
- Here's the latest on TSA delays, and how to check wait times before you travel.
Airport security lines surged during a government funding standoff that left TSA officers unpaid — and while President Donald Trump has now ordered paychecks to resume, travelers are still facing long waits at some airports.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world's busiest by passenger numbers, continues to warn travelers of 4-plus hour waits for both domestic and international travelers on its website, and is not currently providing live wait times for security lines.
Atlanta has been among the worst-affected airports since the shutdown began, with over a third of TSA staff not showing up on some days.
TSA agents could start seeing paychecks as soon as Monday, but as Business Insider recently reported, the agency's staffing shortage won't likely be fixed overnight.
As the busy spring break travel season approaches, it remains important to check on airport security wait times, which rose to an average of 4.5 hours during the shutdown — the highest in the TSA's history, acting TSA administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill recently testified.
See here for the latest on airport security lines from New York City to Atlanta, and how to check for wait times near you.
How long are the TSA delays?
As of Monday morning, passengers at Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport — which had waits of up to four hours last week — had a longest wait of just under an hour.
JFK, the New York area's largest airport, had wait times of up to 20 minutes as of 8:30 a.m.
"Wait times can change quickly based on passenger volume and TSA staffing," the airport said on its website. "Please allow extra time."
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Notably, not all airports are affected equally.
Newark Liberty International Airport is displaying a similar message to JFK on its website, stating that security wait times may be "significantly longer than normal" and that wait time reporting has been suspended. However, on Monday morning, waits were only around 15 minutes.
As of Saturday afternoon, Dallas-Fort Worth had a 20-minute line at one checkpoint, but waits were under 10 minutes at all other checkpoints. In Denver, passengers have a maximum wait of 11 minutes soon after opening on Monday.
Business Insider's Taylor Rains flew out of Las Vegas last week and saw minimal TSA lines.
Taylor Rains/Business Insider
How to check TSA wait times
The easiest way to avoid the stress of missing your flight is to give yourself extra time in the airport. Many airports are advising travelers this week to arrive up to three hours before their flight, even for domestic flights.
As delays mount, more travelers are turning to CLEAR, a biometric identity service that bypasses standard TSA ID checks at around 60 airports.
Some airports, including hubs like Philadelphia, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Denver, are still posting TSA wait times live on their websites.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images
These can also provide more specific insights. For example, DFW's website shows the wait times at each checkpoint.
You can also use the MyTSA mobile app. It provides estimated wait times in 15-minute intervals based on average checkpoint data. The app, however, will use historical data if the live data cannot be retrieved. The TSA also says it is not "actively" managing its sites during the partial shutdown, and so the app may not always be updated.
How long will the TSA delays persist?
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday directing the Department of Homeland Security to reinstate full paychecks for TSA employees, but staff shortages mean travelers could continue to face disruptions.
TSA Deputy Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill said nearly 500 officers had quit since the partial government shutdown began in February. Over 1,000 TSA agents quit during the full government shutdown in 2025, compounding the issue.
The TSA, which employs around 50,000 officers, takes 4 to 6 weeks to complete training. As a result, the long wait times and massive lines could be here for a bit longer. McNeill said the open roles may not be filled in time for the FIFA World Cup in June.
Although Homeland Security said TSA officers could see those payments as early as Monday, the shutdown is not over.
The Senate voted on Friday to pass a bill to fund Homeland Security and end the partial shutdown. However, House Republicans rejected that proposal and instead pushed forward another plan, potentially prolonging the shutdown.