TSA Warns Travelers of Possible Delays During Government Shutdown

by Laurie Baratti
Last updated: 3:45 PM ET, Sun October 5, 2025

As the federal government shutdown continues, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is asking travelers for patience as it works to keep the nation’s airports running smoothly amid funding uncertainty.

“While TSA is prepared to continue screening about 2.5M passengers a day, an extended shutdown could mean longer wait times at airports. We kindly ask for our passengers’ patience during this time,” a TSA spokesperson said Thursday in a statement to NewsNation. “Despite this challenge, we will remain vigilant and focused on performing our vital security mission on behalf of the American people.”

According to The Hill, the TSA noted that roughly 61,000 of its 64,000 employees are classified as “excepted” or “exempt,” meaning they’re required to continue working through the shutdown—even without pay (they will receive back pay once Congress agrees on a new budget). The remaining few thousand will be temporarily furloughed until funding is restored.

While most TSA officers will still be reporting to duty, their paychecks are essentially on hold until Congress passes a new budget. For travelers, this could translate into longer lines, slower screening times, and potential bottlenecks if the shutdown drags on.

TSA officer working at an airport security checkpoint.

So far, travelers are unlikely to notice immediate changes. Security checkpoints remain staffed, and air traffic control towers are still operating, with about 13,200 controllers on duty nationwide.

However, “The longer a shutdown drags on, the more likely we are to see longer TSA lines, flight delays and cancellations, national parks in disrepair and unnecessary delays in modernizing travel infrastructure,” said Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association.

“The system does become a little bit more brittle, and the longer this goes, the more the traveler is going to notice it,” said Jeffrey Price, professor of aviation at the Metropolitan State University of Denver.

During the record 35-day shutdown of 2018–2019, during Trump’s first term, many unpaid TSA officers began calling out sick, leading to longer wait times for passengers. The situation even forced Miami International Airport to temporarily close one of its terminals. Air traffic controllers, some working up to 60 hours a week, sued the government for unpaid wages.

Air traffic controllers working in an airport control tower.

According to PBS News, this time around, both TSA and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) were already dealing with staffing shortages before the shutdown began. For example, the FAA is currently short around 3,000 air traffic controllers, which leaves little margin for additional stress on the system.

“They’re out there working right now with critical staffing—the lowest staffing we’ve had in decades ... And, on top of that, they’re working with unreliable equipment,” said Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA).

If the system becomes overtaxed trying to manage scheduled flights, the FAA may need to slow down takeoffs and landings, leading to additional delays and possible cancellations for passengers.

Plus, prolonged shutdowns don’t just inconvenience travelers. “This is more than just an inconvenience to the traveler,” Price said. “This is definitely going to bring up safety and security issues, if it really starts to go into the long term.”

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