Travelers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport faced massive security delays over the weekend, with wait times stretching as long as five hours as staffing shortages hit the Transportation Security Administration.
Lines wrapped around the airport as the crisis intensified, according to reporting by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, with some passengers told to expect multi-hour delays at security checkpoints.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned the situation could deteriorate further, citing the ongoing partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.
“I do think it’s going to get much worse,” Duffy said on ABC’s This Week, adding that more TSA workers could quit or fail to report for duty if they miss additional paychecks.
🚨 HOLY CRAP! Over 400 TSA agents have just been forced to quit their jobs because of Chuck Schumer, and even more will walk off the job if the Democrat shutdown continues
SEC. SEAN DUFFY: “I do think it's going to get much worse."
Nuke the filibuster! pic.twitter.com/rbnbbog55Q
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 22, 2026
Officials say roughly 400 TSA employees have already left their positions during the funding lapse, while absentee rates have surged.
Acting Deputy TSA Administrator Adam Stahl said call-out rates have climbed from about 2% before the shutdown to more than 10% in recent weeks.
The disruption is not limited to Atlanta. Other major airports, including LaGuardia Airport, have also seen wait times stretch beyond three hours amid staffing shortages.
Stahl warned that smaller airports could face partial closures if the funding lapse continues.
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TSA staffing shortages are driving security wait times up to five hours at major airports like Atlanta.
Officials warn the situation could worsen as workers miss paychecks during the DHS funding lapse.
Absentee rates have surged, and hundreds of TSA employees have already left their jobs.
Continued disruption could impact travel nationwide and strain airport operations.
According to TSA officials, workers last received a full paycheck on Feb. 14, followed by a partial payment on Feb. 28, and missed a subsequent pay period in mid-March.
The partial shutdown has been in place since Feb. 14, with a funding dispute in Congress unresolved.