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Airports beg flight passengers to change their travel habits after DHS shutdown jams lines

31 Mar 2026 By foxnews

Airports are still recovering from the fallout of the DHS shutdown that resulted in a shortage of transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers - and some are now changing their advisory messages to travelers.

John Glenn Columbus International Airport in Ohio is cautioning passengers to arrive just 1.5 hours before their flights depart.

"Early morning travel PSA, 90 minutes before departure is the sweet spot," the airport posted on X on Thursday.

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"Showing up too early creates those first-wave lines," the post also said. "Even when lines stretch to ticketing, waits are usually [about] 45 mins."

The airport also attached a graphic of suggested arrival times for flights starting at 5 p.m. through 12 p.m.

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas wrote on X it's expecting over 30,000 travelers to be processed by TSA on Monday.

"There is no need to line up more than 4 hours before your flight, as this causes congestion in the lines for those flying out sooner," the airport wrote.

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"Arriving 2.5 hours early for domestic flights and 3 hours for international flights is our recommendation," it added.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is still advising passengers to arrive at least four hours early.

About 40% of TSA workers in Atlanta have called out amid the shutdown, the Department of Homeland Security told FOX 5.

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Some TSA officers at Hartsfield-Jackson told Fox News on Monday morning that they've started receiving paychecks after working without pay since DHS funding lapsed on Valentine's Day.

Officers shared that they have begun seeing paychecks after President Donald Trump issued an executive order for emergency pay on Friday.

Baltimore-Washington International Airport posted on X on Monday that there were "minimal wait times at each checkpoint."

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The airport still cautioned passengers on Sunday "to arrive 3 hours before scheduled departure."

Fox News' Claudia Kelly-Bazan, as well as The Associated Press, contributed reporting.