Wait times at security checkpoints in Houston and New Orleans as long as three hours due to shortage of TSA agents
Travelers complained of long waits Sunday – lasting hours in some cases – at security checkpoints at airports in Houston and New Orleans, which officials blamed on a government shutdown of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The estimated wait time at the standard security checkpoint at the William P Hobby airport in Houston early Sunday evening was at one point three hours, according to the Houston Airports website. The Hobby airport on social media Friday said it expected more travelers than normal due to spring break.
In a series of posts Sunday, the airport on X went from urging travelers to arrive early to asking them to arrive three to four hours before their flights. The airport eventually asked travelers to arrive four to five hours early to allow extra time for screening, citing the partial government shutdown.
A statement from Houston Airports, which counts Hobby and George Bush intercontinental airport as part of its system, said the shutdown “can impact security operations day-to-day and shift-to-shift”. Wait times at checkpoints at George Bush intercontinental airport early Sunday evening were as brief as a few minutes.
