TSA disruptions set to snarl spring break travel as partial government shutdown continues
TSA disruptions set to snarl spring break travel as partial government shutdown continues
Sat, March 14, 2026 at 1:02 AM UTC
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Travelers line up to go through a TSA checkpoint at Orlando International Airport. (John Raoux / AP)
Potential travel troubles are looming just as spring breakers get set to take off.
TSA workers missed their full paychecks on Friday due to the ongoing partial government shutdown caused by a standoff between Democrats and Republicans over funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
"You have now agencies of government with employees who aren't going to get paid that perform important national security functions," said Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD). “People are starting to travel. They're hitting the airport and the lines are getting longer and longer and longer.”
And there’s worry those lines could continue to grow longer with TSA agents being absent.
“Some of them have to call out, some of them probably have to take other jobs so they can't meet the regular shifts, which is resulting in bottlenecks at some major airports,” said Eric Rosen, Director of Travel Content for The Points Guy.
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Unscheduled absences among TSA workers have approximately doubled during the partial shutdown, according to DHS. And more than 300 TSA workers have left the agency during that time.
Some airports like Denver’s and Seattle’s are asking for donations to support TSA workers.
In Las Vegas, MGM Resorts donated lunch for TSA workers at the airport on Thursday.
“it's a token, a small token of our appreciation for these tsa workers that continue to show up for work," said John Flynn, Senior VP of MGM Resorts. “If people can show up and they have a seamless travel experience, we get more people to the strip, more people in our communities. There's a trickle down effect to the entire economy.”
If you are traveling, experts say to give yourself plenty of extra time at the airport.
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Source: “AOL Breaking”
