TSA wait times: the airports with the longest delays and how to check

Long lines at TSA checkpoints are persisting as a partial government shutdown has left Transportation Security Administration staff unpaid. As many as 10% of TSA agents called out on several days this week, with absence rates averaging as much as 20% in some airports.

"The current unpredictability is being driven by unpredictable staffing levels, basically, how many TSA officers are showing up for work on any given day," said Sheldon H. Jacobson, noting that cross‑training means the key factor is simply how many officers arrive.

Some airports have seen particularly long waits: Houston George Bush International had lines exceeding two hours at some checkpoints, and Hartsfield‑Jackson Atlanta International faced delays of over 90 minutes on most days this week. JFK had waits over 15 minutes in three terminals, Newark posted similar delays, and LaGuardia reached about 20 minutes at worst.

United States, Houston, Atlanta, New York, Newark

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