TSA wait times are still up to 4 hours long even as pay for airport security workers set to return

• Airport security lines have been on the rise amid a government dispute that blocked TSA paychecks.
• The money will start flowing again next week, but 4-hour lines continue at some airports.
• Here's the latest on TSA delays, and how to check wait times before you travel.

Airport security lines surged during a government funding standoff that left TSA officers unpaid — and while President Donald Trump has now ordered paychecks to resume, travelers are still facing hours-long waits at some airports.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world's busiest by passenger numbers, continues to warn travelers of 4-plus hour waits for both domestic and international travelers on its website. Atlanta has been among the worst-affected airports since the shutdown began, with over a third of TSA staff not showing up on some days.

TSA agents could start seeing paychecks as soon as Monday, but as Business Insider recently reported, the agency's staffing shortage won't likely be fixed overnight.

As the busy spring break travel season approaches, it remains important to check on airport security wait times, which rose to an average of 4.5 hours during the shutdown — the highest in the TSA's history, acting TSA administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill recently testified.

See here for the latest on airport security lines from New York City to Atlanta, and how to check for wait times near you.

How long are the TSA delays?

As of Saturday afternoon, passengers at the Orlando International Airport may spend just under 50 minutes waiting at a security checkpoint. Depending on the gate, passengers could get zero wait time.

JFK, the New York area's largest airport, had wait times of up to 37 minutes on Saturday.

"Wait times can change quickly based on passenger volume and TSA staffing," the airport said on its website. "Please allow extra time."

Newark Liberty International Airport — which temporarily suspended all flights on Monday after a control tower was evacuated — is displaying a similar message on its website, stating that security wait times may be "significantly longer than normal" and that wait time reporting has been suspended. There, security checkpoint wait times exceeded an hour.

Notably, not all airports are affected equally.

As of Saturday afternoon, Dallas-Fort Worth and Denver, two of the US' busiest airports, have maximum lines of just 12 minutes. Some checkpoints have zero wait time.

At Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport, wait times reached up to 15 minutes, and up to seven minutes at William P. Hobby Airport.

Business Insider's Taylor Rains flew out of Las Vegas last week and saw minimal TSA lines.

How to check TSA wait times

The easiest way to avoid the stress of missing your flight is to give yourself extra time in the airport. Many airports are advising travelers this week to arrive up to three hours before their flight, even for domestic flights.

As delays mount, more travelers are turning to CLEAR, a biometric identity service that bypasses standard TSA ID checks at around 60 airports.

Some airports, including hubs like Philadelphia, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Denver, are still posting TSA wait times live on their websites.

These can also provide more specific insights. For example, DFW's website shows the wait times at each checkpoint.

You can also use the MyTSA mobile app. It provides estimated wait times in 15-minute intervals based on average checkpoint data. The app, however, will use historical data if the live data cannot be retrieved. The TSA also says it is not "actively" managing its sites during the partial shutdown, and so the app may not always be updated.

How long will the TSA delays persist?

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday directing the Department of Homeland Security to reinstate full paychecks for TSA employees, but staff shortages mean travelers could continue to face disruptions.

TSA Deputy Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill said nearly 500 officers had quit since the partial government shutdown began in February. Over 1,000 TSA agents quit during the full government shutdown in 2025, compounding the issue.

The TSA, which employs around 50,000 officers, takes 4 to 6 weeks to complete training. As a result, the long wait times and massive lines could be here for a bit longer. McNeill said the open roles may not be filled in time for the FIFA World Cup in June.

Although Homeland Security said TSA officers could see those payments as early as Monday, the shutdown is not over.

The Senate voted on Friday to pass a bill to fund Homeland Security and end the partial shutdown. However, House Republicans rejected that proposal and instead pushed forward another plan, potentially prolonging the shutdown.