Here's the latest
• Airport woes: Air travelers across the US are facing travel headaches today. Security lines at many airports were long during peak times this morning as Transportation Security Administration workers went without full pay.
• Shutdown drags on: TSA workers just missed their first full paycheck since the partial government shutdown began in mid-February after funding for the Department of Homeland Security lapsed. But on Capitol Hill, the impasse shows no sign of breaking anytime soon.
• Airports could shut down: With TSA “fully stretched,” some US airports may be forced to shut down if the Department of Homeland Security shutdown continues, TSA’s acting deputy administrator said today.
• Weather-related impacts: As of 12 p.m. ET, more than 3,800 US flights have been delayed today and more than 1,000 have been canceled, according to FlightAware. This is largely due to the ongoing impact of yesterday’s bad weather.
Wait times fluctuate at Atlanta airport
Travelers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport have seen fluctuating wait times Tuesday as air travel around the US continues to be plagued by delays due to staffing shortages, rough weather and a partial government shutdown.
The estimated wait time at Hartsfield-Jackson’s main check point around 9 a.m. Tuesday was at least 100 minutes, and tensions started to rise when the line for TSA security stretched into the airport food court and even near the baggage claim area.
Hours later, the line trickled down to almost nothing, before picking back up during the lunch rush hours. Around noon, the TSA checkpoint at the airport instantly jumped from an estimated wait of 38 minutes to 111 minutes, before dropping down to 77 minutes.
Several frustrated passengers told CNN on Tuesday they arrived many hours early at Hartsfield-Jackson, one of the busiest airports in the world, to catch their flights because the situation is so in flux and unclear.
The airport has encouraged travelers to arrive at least three hours ahead of their flights to allow extra time for security screening as they deal with staffing constraints amid the ongoing partial government shutdown.
“This is fun stuff,” Xena Rutherford from Colorado told CNN as she joined the long time at TSA’s main checkpoint in Atlanta. She and her husband expect they’ll have enough time to make their 3:47 p.m. flight this afternoon, she said, but are frustrated they had to arrive so early.
Wait times at airports around the nation have varied, with some boasting near-empty security lines, while others urge patience as limited TSA staff work to keep up with crowds.
More than a thousand US flights canceled so far today
More than 1,000 US flights have been canceled as of 12 p.m. ET today, according to FlightAware, as severe weather continues to impact air travel across the country.
Additionally, total delays within, into or out of the United States now exceed 3,800.
Many of the impacts are lingering effects from yesterday’s major storm, where at least 2,000 flights were canceled and more than 9,500 flights were delayed, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said.
Senate GOP leader on any movement in talks with Democrats on DHS: “Didn’t change much”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said that while Democrats made a late-night offer in negotiations to fund the Department of Homeland Security and lift the partial government shutdown, “it didn’t change much.”
Democrats have traded proposals with the White House and congressional Republicans with each side dug in on different demands, including red lines on federal immigration enforcement.
The month-long shutdown of the department, which oversees the Transportation Security Administration, has added to travel woes throughout the country.
Later Tuesday, Thune criticized Democrats for not embracing “significant gives on the part of the White House,” including proposed ICE policy changes designed to unlock funding talks.
“I was going over last night some of the gives that the White House had made that went above and beyond, you know, any initial offers that they put out there,” he said. “And there’s a lot of stuff in there. I mean, even with respect to body cameras, there was $20 million in the original bill, there’s $100 million in the proposal from the White House to include audits by the inspector general, you know, and reviews for noncompliance.”
This post has been updated with additional reporting.
Passengers packed their patience while waiting more than 2 hours in airport lines
Airports across the country are seeing long lines amid staffing issues, weather delays and spring break travel this week, leaving many travelers to pack their patience.
Charles James is one of those passengers who waited more than two hours this morning at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
“The airport was not prepared for it, you could tell. No one really directing passengers where to join the lines or what line was what. But for the most part people kept their cool,” James told CNN.
This is only the latest travel chaos James has recently experienced. In the past few days, he had five flights cancelled and experienced multiple delays from a few different airports.
Democratic senator calls for immediate TSA funding amid travel delays
Amid massive air travel wait times, some lawmakers are pushing for solutions that would fund key DHS agencies as they work to resolve disputes over immigration enforcement tactics that led to the partial government shutdown, Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia said Tuesday.
“I think there’s a pretty clear path forward, and that is that we should immediately fund TSA, Coast Guard, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and these other crucial agencies within the Department of Homeland Security,” Ossoff said on The Mark Arum Show on Atlanta-based WSB Radio.
The partial shutdown began in mid-February, after DHS funding lapsed. Democratic lawmakers have demanded major changes to how Immigration and Customs Enforcement operates, citing aggressive tactics.
“Since the disagreement, the dispute is really limited to the tactics that have been used by ICE across the country,” Ossoff said Tuesday. “There’s no reason that we shouldn’t be able to fund the rest of those agencies, including TSA.”
The solution would be a “sensible compromise,” even as the White House and its allies have blocked such proposals from Democratic lawmakers, he said.
“I will continue working to try to advance those measures, and I think we just need an outbreak of common sense in the Senate,” Ossoff said.
Community rallies to give shelf-stable food to 600 TSA workers in Maryland
Community members and local officials in Maryland are coming together to make sure TSA employees at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport have food “throughout” the ongoing partial government shutdown.
The Anne Arundel County Food Bank has worked with airport officials, the county office of emergency management and numerous volunteers to assemble and pack boxes of shelf-stable food for the airport’s 600 TSA employees working without pay, the food bank said in a statement.
“We are committed to continuing to box food and get it to BWI TSA workers (while also maintaining all of our other food distribution operations) throughout the shutdown,” the food bank said.
Plans are in place to also provide stable produce items like potatoes, onions, and apples to workers next week, the county added.
CNN’s Amanda Jackson contributed to this reporting.
Atlanta and Houston's Bush airports seeing some of the longest security checkpoint lines
The security checkpoint wait times at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport are well over an hour as of 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday.
In Atlanta, passengers at the international terminal are seeing wait times of 90 minutes, down from at least 100 minutes earlier this morning.
Meanwhile in Houston, Terminal E at Bush Airport has a wait time of 120 minutes. But the city’s other main airport William P. Hobby Airport has reported wait times of up to 15 minutes.
Airports in Orlando, Denver and New York City are also seeing long security lines, with wait times around 30 minutes as of 10:30 a.m.
“Wait ‘til November”: Traveler lays blame on Republicans for DHS shutdown
As the security lines stretched through baggage claim in Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, traveler Richard Alexander criticized Republican leadership for not passing legislation that would fund Transportation Security Administration workers amidst the partial government shutdown.
“Wait ‘til November and a lot of these people get thrown out because they’re not legislating appropriately for the people of this country,” Alexander told CNN’s Ryan Young this morning, referring to the 2026 midterm elections.
The partial shutdown, which started in mid-February, continues to drag on with no end in sight with Senate Democrats demanding changes to DHS before appropriating more money to the department.
Alexander, who got to the airport early, had been waiting in line for 45 minutes. Security wait times at Hartsfield-Jackson reached more than 100 minutes at one point this morning.
“You got to give them (TSA workers) a reason to work. Pay them more every hour and then maybe they’ll come to work,” Alexander said.
Democrats sent another DHS funding counteroffer to the White House. It's still a stalemate
As the stalemate over Department of Homeland Security funding drags on and flyers face intensifying lines across the country, there is little sign that lawmakers in Congress are anywhere near a deal to fund the agency.
Two sources familiar with negotiations told CNN that Democrats returned a counteroffer to the White House last night – nearly 20 days after the White House’s last offer. However, one source familiar with the talks warned the offer did not move the debate in any significant way and that negotiators are still relatively locked into their initial positions and demands.
The White House is reviewing the proposal, a White House official told CNN.
A month into the partial government shutdown, hundreds of Transportation Security Administration workers have quit and others have taken unscheduled time off, adding to travel woes.
The impasse also comes as DHS nominee Markwayne Mullin is set to testify tomorrow before the Senate Homeland Committee and as Republicans have ramped up pressure on Democrats to cut a deal given the escalating threat environment in the wake of the war with Iran.
Here's what it looks like at the Atlanta airport
Travelers continue to funnel into Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, adding to long lines amid TSA staffing shortages, weather-related delays and spring break volume.
“This line is longer than what they were yesterday at the peak when we saw all the people packed in here,” CNN’s Ryan Young said at the airport.
Walk along with CNN at the airport this morning:
Here's where things stand on the partial government shutdown
Funding for DHS lapsed in mid-February during a political standoff over federal immigration enforcement. As the partial shutdown stretches into its fourth week, affected workers are missing paychecks just as the busy spring break travel season ramps up.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Sunday blamed the funding stalemate on political gridlock in Washington, warning the lapse is particularly risky during a period of international conflict.
Republicans want all of DHS funded, while Democrats are holding out on funding Immigration and Customs Enforcement following the immigration enforcement surge across US cities.
After criticizing Democratic leaders, Duffy told FOX News, “I think Democrats are going to come to their senses.”
Certain DHS agencies should be funded amid the partial government shutdown, Democratic Sen. Cory Booker told CNN on Sunday, pointing to GOP opposition to Democrats’ efforts to do so.
“Democrats have tried multiple times to try to get” TSA, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Coast Guard funded, Booker said.
Some airports may need to shut down as TSA is "fully stretched," aide says
With TSA “fully stretched,” US airports – particularly smaller ones – may be forced to shut down if the DHS shutdown continues, TSA’s acting deputy administrator, Adam Stahl, said Tuesday.
“We have a national deployment office force, and we’ve fully depleted that. So, at this point, we’re fully stretched,” Stahl said on Fox News. “If this continues, it’s not hyperbole to suggest that we may have to quite literally shut down airports, particularly smaller ones, if call-out rates go up.”
“Certain call-out rates are higher,” which is why lines are longer at some airports than others, he said.
Arguing the onus is on Democrats to refund TSA, Stahl urged them to “please get cash back into our TSA agents’ pockets.” At the same time, Senate Democrats are slamming Republicans for not voting to separately fund TSA and other agencies within DHS while the sides discuss immigration enforcement reform.
Stahl warned of “significant pain” for airline passengers, including three- to four-hour wait times at major airports such as those in Atlanta, Houston and New Orleans. Safety and security remain a focus, despite the strain on TSA workers, he said.
“They are well-trained and dedicated employees,” Stahl said. “The overwhelming majority show up every single day. We are focused on making sure the integrity of the aviation security system remains intact, and that’s why we may need to collapse lanes at certain airports.”
Tensions high as security lines at Atlanta's airport reach food court
Passenger tensions are high this morning at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport as the line for TSA security reached a food court.
The estimated wait time at the main check point around 9:15 a.m. is at least 100 minutes.
“This is insane,” Paul Byrne, a sophomore on the Cortland College baseball team, told CNN as he got in line.
The airport encourages travelers to “allow extra time for security screening and arrive at least three hours ahead of their flights,” as TSA checkpoints experience “longer than normal” wait times due to staffing constraints amid the ongoing partial government shutdown.
New York City-area airports are feeling strong winds this morning
The storm that brought severe thunderstorms to the East Coast yesterday is still producing gusty winds across the Northeast.
Wind gusts from the west between 30 and 40 mph have been impacting LaGuardia, JFK and Newark airports in the New York City area this morning.
Winds should slacken a bit this afternoon as the storm moves farther away but could still gust between 25 and 35 mph.
Strong winds will die down significantly this evening as high pressure arrives, and the calmer conditions will continue tomorrow, with winds only expected to reach 5 to 10 mph.
Lines stretch through checkpoint and baggage claim at Atlanta airport
Travelers in Atlanta saw long lines at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport this morning amid ongoing TSA staffing issues, plus weather delays and spring break crowds.
Lines stretched throughout a checkpoint and a baggage claim area.
Here’s a glimpse at what the airport looked like this morning:
Austin, Texas, airport sees high volume of travelers
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is another airport experiencing long lines on Tuesday morning due to a high volume of travelers.
“While not a record-breaking travel day today, 32k departing travelers is about 5-7k more than a normal Tuesday,” the airport shared in a post on X.
Checkpoints are busy, videos shared to social media on Monday and Tuesday show.
“We encourage you to get here at least 2.5 hours before your flight, and to give yourself plenty of time to complete pre-screening activities,” airport staff added.
The large number of travelers comes as the city hosts the South by Southwest festival and the University of Texas-Austin is on spring break.
Hundreds of TSA agents have quit amid the partial government shutdown
One month into the partial government shutdown, hundreds of TSA workers going without full pay have quit, while others have taken unscheduled time off, contributing to travel headaches.
Last weekend, TSA workers missed their first full paycheck since the partial shutdown began in mid-February after funding for DHS, which oversees TSA, lapsed amid a standoff between Republicans and Democrats over federal immigration reform.
As of Friday, more than 300 TSA agents had quit, the DHS said on X post.
The CEOs of major airlines, including American, Delta, Southwest and JetBlue, have urged Congress to restore DHS funding and embrace a bipartisan solution to ensure federal aviation workers are paid during shutdowns, according to a letter they sent Sunday.
Late last year, the longest government shutdown on record ended after an increasing number of air traffic controllers and TSA screeners did not show up to work.
Air traffic controllers are not affected by the ongoing partial shutdown.
Long TSA checkpoint lines and rough weather are snarling air travel again
Several issues are impacting air travel across the country this morning.
Here’s what’s going on:
- Weather related delays and cancellations: As of 8:30 a.m., 1,999 US flights have been delayed for today, and 891 canceled, according to FlightAware. This largely owes to the continuing impact of weather from yesterday, which saw nearly 5,000 cancellations and more than 12,000 delays.
- TSA staffing problems: Security lines are long at a number of airports this morning as TSA employees continue to work without pay amid the partial government shutdown. Some are taking unscheduled time off, and others have quit. Callouts are a result of factors, like workers not being able to afford for child care or gas to get to work, union leaders say.
- High volume: Spring break has increased the number of air travelers, too. Some places – like Austin, Texas, which is also hosting the SXSW festival – have very busy terminals, especially as people arrive early, as advised.
Continue to follow us for updates as the day progresses.
