Australians heading to the U.S. are being warned to allow significantly more time at airports as the partial government shutdown stretches into its fourth week, with TSA staffing shortages causing wait times of up to three hours at major hubs.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which screens passengers at U.S. airports, has been hit by rising staff absences since the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ran out of funding on 14 February.
CNN reported that TSA officers have been working without pay since then, received only a partial paycheck on 28 February and are set to miss their first full paycheck on 14 March.
The result, DHS said, is security lines stretching to three hours at some of the country’s busiest airports. CNN said wait times at Houston’s Hobby Airport hit 3.5 hours over the weekend, while at New Orleans’ Louis Armstrong International, the queue extended out of the terminal and into a parking garage.
Which airports are worst affected?
ABC News reported that the airports with the longest delays so far include Houston Hobby Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina.
Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson, the world’s busiest airport and a common domestic connection point for Australians arriving into Los Angeles, San Francisco or Dallas, is among those affected.
Several airports have advised passengers to arrive 3 to 4 hours before departure, with CNBC reporting that Houston Hobby issued a 4-hour advisory.
Why is this happening now?
The partial government shutdown began on 14 February after Congress failed to agree on DHS funding. Unlike a full federal shutdown, this one specifically affects DHS and its agencies, including TSA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
TSA officers are classified as essential workers and must continue to report for duty, but they are not being paid while the funding impasse continues.
Lauren Bis, DHS deputy assistant secretary for public affairs, said travellers were “facing TSA lines nearly 3 hours long at some major airports, causing missed flights and massive delays during peak travel.”
Todd Hauptli, president and CEO of the American Association of Airport Executives, warned the situation would deteriorate. “We’re going to see sickouts, we’re going to see screeners who love their jobs that are going to be forced to look for other jobs,” he said.
What about Global Entry and TSA PreCheck?
The shutdown has also suspended the Global Entry trusted traveller program, which Australian travellers only gained access to in 2025.
ABC News said U.S. Customs and Border Protection halted all Global Entry arrival processing on 22 February, meaning Australians with memberships cannot use expedited customs lanes until the shutdown ends. NPR reported that TSA PreCheck was initially suspended during the shutdown but has since been restored.
The timing is particularly poor. The shutdown coincides with the start of the U.S. spring break travel season, which Airlines for America says is expected to see around 171 million passengers between 1 March and 30 April, roughly a four per cent increase on the prior year. That works out to nearly three million passengers a day moving through the system.
What should Aussie travellers do?
For Australians with U.S. travel booked in the coming weeks, the practical advice is straightforward: allow significantly more time at airports, particularly for domestic connections within the U.S. Airports are advising passengers to arrive three to four hours before departure.
Travellers connecting through major hubs such as Atlanta, Houston, Dallas or Charlotte should factor in the possibility of extended security waits when booking connection windows.
Chris Sununu, president and CEO of Airlines for America, urged Congress and the administration to “reach a deal that reopens DHS and ends this shutdown,” noting that airlines had done their part to prepare for the spring break peak.
ABC News put the cost of the previous government shutdown in 2019 at more than 9,000 flight delays and cancellations, affecting six million travellers and costing the industry an estimated US$6.1 billion.
KARRYON UNPACKS: For travel advisors with clients heading to the U.S. in the coming weeks, this is a rebooking risk worth flagging proactively. Tight domestic connections through major hubs like Atlanta, Houston and Charlotte are the most vulnerable. Consider recommending longer layovers, direct routing where available, or flexible fare options until the shutdown is resolved. With Global Entry also suspended, even frequent U.S. travellers will face standard customs queues on arrival.
