FILE - Transportation Security Administration (TSA) clothing bin in line waiting to be scanned at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Bob Riha, Jr./Getty Images)
Some airports are breezing through security amid the TSA shortage and partial government shutdown, while others have hourslong waits.
Their screening model could be a clue for how to keep lines moving at the airports – though not everyone is on board.
Here’s what to know:
TSA shortage and wait times
The backstory:
Some of the nation’s busiest airports saw hourslong security lines this weekend. Most security lines rely on federal screening officers employed directly by TSA, who must work without pay during shutdowns.
The government has been partially shut down since Feb. 14 after a deal to fund Homeland Security was unreachable. Democrats want changes to immigration operations that are central to President Donald Trump’s deportation campaign.
READ MORE: Travelers enduring hours-long delays at airports amid partial government shutdown
Look ahead:
Disruptions at the airport are not yet widespread, but are a concern as the shutdown continues into the busy spring break travel season.
The wait in the TSA security line at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was over an hour long the evening of Sunday, March 8, 2025. (Photo: FOX Television Stations)
What you can do:
If you are traveling soon, check for updates from your local airport about their recommendation for arrival times. You can check on their social media accounts or directly on the airport’s website.
Also look for information from the airport you’re flying home from. Some major airports allow you to book a specific time slot for TSA security, reducing wait times.
TSA screening partnership program
Meanwhile:
Some airports using a TSA screening program are breezing through security while others have hourslong lines. Some aviation experts see the TSA screening program as a potential model for keeping security lines moving with fewer disruptions during shutdowns.
For example:
San Francisco International Airport uses a private screening contractor under TSA oversight, which keeps lines moving.
According to the TSA, several other airports use this contracted screening partnership program:
- Atlantic City International Airport
- Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport
- Dawson Community Airport
- Great Falls International Airport
- Glacier Park International Airport
- Greater Rochester International Airport
- Havre City-County Airport
- Kansas City International Airport
- L. M. Clayton Airport
- Orlando Sanford International Airport
- Portsmouth International Airport
- Punta Gorda Airport
- Roswell International Air Center
- San Francisco International Airport
- Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport
- Sidney-Richland Municipal Airport
- Sioux Falls Regional Airport
- Tupelo Regional Airport
- Wokal Field/Glasgow International Airport
- Yellowstone Airport
How it works:
These airports are staffed by private contractors under a federal program that allows airports to outsource security screenings while maintaining TSA oversight. These contractors’ pay comes from a federal contract that’s already been paid out or allocated, so the paychecks often continue even when the government shuts down.
The other side:
The TSA union, The American Federation of Government Employees, warns privatization could cut pay and protections for workers and introduce security risks.
Dig deeper:
Another solution is to pass legislation that would keep aviation workers paid during shutdowns. The longest government shutdown in history last year kept paychecks from air traffic controllers, and the FAA cut air traffic by 10% at one point in major markets. Air traffic controllers are not affected in this latest shutdown.
The Source: Information in this article was taken from TSA and The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents TSA officers. Background information was taken from previous FOX Television Station reportings and from The Associated Press.