Travelers across the country have been dealing with massive security checkpoint delays at airports across the United States as the partial government shutdown affects the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has been grappling with staffing shortages at security checkpoints, with workers shouting or simply quitting because they are not being paid. This apparently resulted in long queues and significant delays at the airport. Now, as the shutdown continues, it sounds like some airports may be forced to close entirely.
The security check queue lasted for several hours
While TSA employees will eventually be paid after the shutdown ends, they will still be required to work without pay until a deal is reached. Therefore, a prolonged shutdown like this could have an impact on TSA staff, with some employees being forced to take on side jobs to make ends meet, creating the current staffing gap across the system.
Staffing shortages have led to longer wait times at airport security checkpoints across the country. Queues at some airports have exceeded three hours, prompting warnings from the Department of Homeland Security that travelers could miss their flights.
“At some major airports, travelers faced Transportation Security Administration (TSA) lines that lasted nearly three hours, resulting in missed flights and significant delays during peak travel periods,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.
These problems have intensified in recent weeks as some TSA agents have resigned altogether.
The airport is expected to close if closures continue
As the government shutdown continues and staffing shortages become more severe, Acting Deputy Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration Adam Starr warned that airports across the country may be forced to close completely if the shutdown is more severe than the current situation.
“If this continues, if this continues, then we may have to actually close airports, especially the smaller ones, and that’s not an exaggeration,” Starr told Fox News’ “Fox & Friends,” via Reuters.
It’s unclear which airports are most likely to close, but as Starr noted, smaller airports may face problems first. Large airports can continue operations by closing all but a few checkpoints at the airport. However, smaller airports with only one checkpoint may not be able to continuously staff the checkpoint amid staffing shortages.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday that airports are “reaching a tipping point.”
The CEOs of major U.S. airlines are calling on Congress to reach a deal to fund the Department of Homeland Security. In an open letter, the CEOs accused Congress of treating air travel as a “political football” and claimed the problem could be solved if only Congress was willing to cooperate.
This article was originally published in Men’s Journal on March 18, 2026, and first appeared in the Travel section. Click here to add Men’s Diary as your go-to source.
