Where airport security wait times are the longest
Ten minutes, 20 minutes, over an hour… Wait times at airports across the country are shocking passengers this week as spring break and summer travel season kick off. Some lines have even extended outside the terminal, and passengers are finding they need to arrive at the airport hours earlier than usual.
It all comes as the partial government shutdown enters its fifth week, with Congress unable to pass a funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security. As a result, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents are working without pay, with some refusing to show up to work.
Tack on a strong winter storm across the Midwest over the weekend, Spring break travel and St. Patrick’s Day and airports have found themselves in the midst of madness.
Social media puts lines in the spotlight
Travelers are sharing a growing number of posts on social media showing lines and airport chaos, including a post from a woman at Austin airport, where the TSA precheck line extended outside the terminal.
Another user shared a post showing crowded TSA lines at JFK on Sunday, saying, “The tsa lines are no joke.”
@kai_monet4 These tsa lines are no joke
#tsa #airportsecurity #jfk #airporttheory #travel
Busy airports, long wait times
Looking at the ten busiest airports in the U.S., SAN compared wait times nationwide on Tuesday morning to see where lines truly are the worst. However, note that these times change minute-by-minute, so it’s always best to check airport websites before heading to your flight.
The busiest airport in the U.S. is Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia, and officials there say they are feeling the effects.
“Passengers are experiencing longer than normal wait times at TSA security checkpoints due to staffing constraints related to the ongoing partial federal government shutdown and recent inclement weather that has impacted flight operations,” the airport said in a statement to SAN.
As of 9:45 a.m. Tuesday, wait times were longer than the typical 15-minute range. Domestic security checkpoints were taking passengers between 30 and 40 minutes to get through. And the international terminal was even worse, with wait times of over 90 minutes.
“Hartsfield-Jackson is working closely with our partners to help manage passenger flow and support the traveling public,” the airport said in a statement to SAN. “Travelers are encouraged to allow additional time for security screening and arrive at least three hours ahead of their flights.”
Denver International Airport, another of the country’s busiest airports, had wait times over 35 minutes at both terminals. TSA Pre-Check lines, however, took about 15 minutes.
Coming home from Disney? Or flying out of Orlando for another reason on Tuesday? You may want to plan for extra time, as some of the security lines had wait times over 30 minutes.
Big airports, lower wait times
While wait times were long at some of the country’s biggest hubs, others saw pretty speedy lines on Tuesday,
At the second busiest airport in the U.S., Dallas/Fort Worth, times weren’t so bad. Some terminals had above-average wait times, but they didn’t exceed 20 minutes. The same can be said for Chicago O’Hare, where wait times sat at around 20 minutes as of 10 a.m. CST.
Things were moving even more quickly at Los Angeles International Airport, where wait times were just two to six minutes. And while lines were crowded this weekend at JFK, wait times at the New York airport were just a few minutes as of Tuesday morning.
Heading home from a long weekend in Vegas? Good news, wait times on Tuesday morning were less than 10 minutes. There’s also good news coming out of Charlotte, where security lines were all moving along quickly on Tuesday.
Long story short, most airports are feeling the effects of the partial government shutdown, inclement weather and spring break travel. The level of impact, and when they’re feeling it, however, varies from airport to airport.
Sentiments from airports remain the same, however, encouraging passengers to plan for extra time and thanking employees for their hard work.
“We extend our sincere thanks to the federal personnel and airport employees who continue working to safely move travelers through the airport during this time,” a spokesperson from Atlanta International said.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
