Travelers Face Major TSA Delays at Airports in New York, Newark & Houston
With the government shutdown continuing, concerns that travelers could face increased TSA delays at key airports are coming to reality in Houston, Newark, and New York, among other locations.
- Both Hobby and Bush Airports in Houston reported delays on November 2 at security checkpoints. According to KHOU-TV, the delays are "major." They ran up to 90 minutes.
- Newark and New York Airports were experiencing delays on November 2. The average delay was two hours and arriving planes at Newark were being limited to as few as 20 planes per hour.
- Atlanta's airport experienced a ground delay of 145 minutes on November 1.
“It sucks,” Frontier passenger Katelyn Hyland said to Atlanta News First.
The Houston Airports Advised Travelers That Delays Could Exceed 60 Minutes
Bush Airport posted about the delays on X. "Heads up, travelers! TSA wait times may exceed 90 minutes. Arriving early gives you time to park, check your bags, and get through security. We appreciate your patience as our federal partners work to keep everyone safe," the airport wrote on November 2.
Bush Airport advised that "only TSA Checkpoints at Terminal A and Terminal E are open." People flying United Airlines were advised to check their baggage at Terminal C before proceeding to Terminal E for security screening.
Heads up, travelers! TSA wait times may exceed 90 minutes. Arriving early gives you time to park, check your bags, and get through security.
— Bush Airport (@iah) November 2, 2025
We appreciate your patience as our federal partners work to keep everyone safe. pic.twitter.com/ci2ZSjjr2T
Bush Airport continued, "We appreciate your patience as our federal partners work to ensure everyone’s safety. Please plan ahead and arrive early for your flight."
Traveler James Barnes told KHOU: “It’s an impact. We want to get home. It’s tough, I don’t like to wait, but we want to get home."
Hobby Airport made a similar post, writing, "Heads up, travelers! TSA wait times may exceed 60 minutes. Arriving early gives you time to park, check your bags, and get through security. We appreciate your patience as our federal partners work to keep everyone safe."
The day before, Hobby warned, "Heads up travelers! Fewer TSA lanes are open." At that time, delays exceeded 45 minutes at times, according to the airport.
Newark & New York Airports Were Also Experiencing Delays
New York's Emergency Management Department warned of the Newark and New York delays in an X post on November 2.
"Newark Airport is under a ground delay program today because of staffing shortages in the control tower. Arrivals are being limited to as few as 20 planes per hour through this afternoon, with higher rates later tonight," the post says.
"The average delay is about 2 hours, and some flights are more than 3 hours late. FAA planning notes show a possibility of a full ground stop later if staffing shortages or demand increases," the post noted.
"This will affect travel both into and out of the NYC area. Flights headed to Newark may be held on the ground at their origin airports, and departures from Newark may be delayed because gates stay occupied when arrivals are backed up," the post added.
"Delays at EWR often spread to JFK and LaGuardia so travelers flying to, from, or through NYC should expect schedule changes, gate holds, and missed connections. Anyone flying today should check flight status before heading to the airport and expect longer waits."
TSA Has Been Providing Wait Time Updates
The Transportation Security Administration has provided updates about security wait times on its X page. However, the most recent one related to October 30.
"NEWS: Yesterday, October 30th, TSA officers screened over 2.5M people (+17% YoY). Average wait times were 4.43 minutes in standard lanes and 2.03 minutes in TSA PreCheck lanes. Do you have travel-related questions? Text “Travel” to “AskTSA” (275-872) for help," TSA wrote.
“I feel bad for the employees that are working for the TSA. It’s not just here — it’s everywhere. I feel bad for them, and it puts everyone in a higher, like, stress mode,” Barnes said to KHOU.