A new partial shutdown of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that began early on February 14, 2026 is rippling quickly through the air travel system, leaving tens of thousands of Transportation Security Administration officers on the job but unpaid. With lawmakers deadlocked over immigration and border enforcement funding, TSA checkpoint staff are being required to report as essential workers without receiving their regular paychecks, and aviation and travel industry leaders are warning that longer security lines and flight delays could follow if the shutdown drags on.
DHS Funding Lapse Hits TSA as Spring Travel Ramps Up
The current shutdown affects only the Department of Homeland Security, unlike broader government funding gaps that have closed multiple agencies at once. That narrower scope does little to reassure travelers, however, because DHS is home to TSA, Customs and Border Protection and other frontline security services that keep the aviation system moving. TSA screeners continue to operate airport security checkpoints nationwide, but they are now doing so with no guaranteed pay date.
The shutdown took effect just as airlines and airports are preparing for a busy late winter and early spring travel period. Industry analysts note that even small reductions in TSA staffing or morale can have outsized effects during peak hours, when security checkpoints already operate near capacity. Early morning banked departures, holiday weekends and Sunday afternoon returns are among the times when travelers are most likely to feel the impact.
Federal officials and airline executives are emphasizing that the skies remain safe and that security standards have not been relaxed. The concern is not about whether passengers will be screened, but about how long it will take to get through checkpoints if unpaid staff begin calling in sick or seeking temporary work elsewhere. That is a scenario many in the industry remember from previous shutdowns, when growing queues eventually led to missed flights and cascading delays across the network.
TSA Officers Deemed Essential but Working Without Pay
Roughly 95 percent of TSA’s workforce is classified as essential, meaning they are required to report for duty even when their agency has no active funding. During a shutdown, those employees accrue pay that is issued only after Congress and the White House approve a new spending bill and the agency is formally reopened. Until that happens, officers are effectively working on IOUs, expected to maintain security operations while juggling rent, child care, transportation and other personal expenses without their regular income.
Unions representing TSA workers have warned that the arrangement is both unsustainable and unfair. Many officers are relatively low paid compared with other federal law enforcement personnel, and a missed paycheck or two can quickly turn into a personal financial crisis. During the last prolonged shutdown, reports of officers driving for ride share services between shifts or visiting food banks became common, and absenteeism at some major airports spiked as workers struggled to cover the cost of commuting to jobs that were not currently paying them.
This time, union leaders say they are already hearing from worried members at large hubs and smaller regional airports alike. While federal law prohibits strikes by most government employees, there is no statute requiring staff to work overtime or to forgo calling out sick. As stress builds, some officers may exhaust their leave balances or seek medical notes excusing them from duty, shrinking staffing rosters just as lines grow longer and patience wears thin on both sides of the checkpoint.
Lessons From Previous Shutdowns and Why This One Is Different
The travel industry has lived through disruptive shutdowns before, and many passengers are remembering the record government funding lapse that stretched on for weeks and snarled air travel in previous years. During that episode, delayed pay and low morale contributed to an uptick in unscheduled absences among TSA officers and air traffic controllers. In a few notable cases, staffing shortages forced the temporary closure of security lanes or entire checkpoints, triggering hours long lines and causing hundreds of flights to be delayed or canceled.
Officials and analysts say there are some important differences this time. The current impasse is focused on Homeland Security and follows an earlier short governmentwide shutdown in January. Other major agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration, remain funded, so air traffic control services and safety inspections are not directly affected at this stage. Airlines are operating their normal schedules and have not announced any broad cancellations linked specifically to the DHS shutdown.
Still, the structural vulnerabilities are similar. TSA staffing levels were already tight at many airports, and the agency has been working to reduce turnover and fill vacancies. Any renewed wave of resignations or extended absences prompted by delayed pay could quickly erode those gains. Travel advocates warn that the shutdown’s impact may be modest at first, then intensify if the funding gap lasts longer than a week or two, as happened in earlier standoffs that began with assurances of minimal disruption and ended with serious operational strain.
Where Travelers Are Most Likely to See Longer Lines
Aviation experts say that not all travelers will experience the effects of the shutdown equally. The greatest pressure tends to appear at the nation’s busiest hubs and in regions with already constrained staffing. Morning rush periods at major coastal gateways, hub banks in cities like Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver and Los Angeles, and popular leisure destinations in Florida, Nevada and Hawaii are all candidates for longer queues if checkpoint throughput slows.
Secondary airports can also be vulnerable, particularly where staffing is thin relative to passenger volume. If even a small number of officers are unable or unwilling to report to work, a checkpoint that normally operates multiple lanes may have to close one or more, producing delays that ripple across the day’s flight schedule. That effect can be particularly hard on travelers who rely on short connection windows, because a delay clearing security on departure can easily turn into a missed onward flight.
International gateways face an added layer of complexity because DHS’s shutdown also touches Customs and Border Protection operations, which manage immigration and customs processing for arriving passengers. While CBP officers are also considered essential and continue to work, any parallel staffing strain at passport control and customs inspection points may extend the time it takes to reach connecting domestic flights after landing from overseas.
How Airlines and Airports Are Responding
Airlines and airports are working to reassure customers while realistically preparing for potential slowdowns at security checkpoints. Carriers are advising travelers to arrive earlier than usual, particularly at large hubs and on peak travel days, and many are updating their mobile apps and email alerts with reminders about recommended arrival times. Some airlines are also waiving certain same day change fees or offering more flexible rebooking options for passengers who miss flights because of unusually long lines at TSA checkpoints.
Airport authorities, for their part, are shifting staff to assist with crowd management, line routing and passenger communication. At some facilities, non federal customer service ambassadors are being deployed near checkpoints to help direct travelers, remind them of screening procedures and encourage them to have identification and boarding passes ready. While those steps cannot fully compensate for any reduction in TSA staffing, they can improve flow at the margins and reduce confusion during busy periods.
Trade groups representing airlines, airports and the broader travel industry have issued joint statements urging Congress and the White House to resolve the funding standoff quickly. They argue that air travel has become an essential engine of the national economy and that predictable security operations are a critical foundation for that role. Prolonged uncertainty, they warn, risks eroding traveler confidence just as business and leisure demand have been showing signs of robust recovery.
Practical Advice for Travelers Flying During the Shutdown
For travelers with upcoming flights, the most important step is to build extra time into every stage of the airport journey. That means arriving at the terminal earlier than usual, especially for morning departures and flights from large hubs. Many airports and airlines recommend arriving at least two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international departures under normal conditions. During the shutdown, adding an additional 30 to 60 minutes to those guidelines can provide a buffer against unexpectedly slow security lines.
Passengers enrolled in TSA PreCheck or similar expedited screening programs should continue to use those lanes where available, as they generally move faster even during periods of stress. However, travelers should be prepared for the possibility that PreCheck lines may also lengthen if staffing shortages force TSA to consolidate lanes. Packing carefully, following all rules for liquids and prohibited items, and keeping electronics and travel documents accessible can help speed up the process for everyone by reducing the need for secondary bag checks.
Another key recommendation is to monitor flight status closely through airline apps, text alerts or airport information displays. While the shutdown does not directly ground flights, knock on effects from staffing related delays at security and potential congestion at gates can lead to schedule shifts. Travelers with tight connections may want to consider moving to earlier flights when possible or selecting itineraries with longer layovers until the situation stabilizes.
Human Toll on Frontline Security Staff
Behind the policy debate and operational statistics are real people standing at the front of the airport security lines. TSA officers are the ones explaining the rules, checking boarding passes and pat downs, often under pressure from travelers anxious about making their flights. Working those jobs without pay adds a heavy psychological burden, particularly when personal finances are strained and the timeline for resolution remains uncertain.
Many travelers expressed gratitude during previous shutdowns by thanking officers, offering words of encouragement or simply showing extra patience in line. Unions and worker advocates are again urging the public to remember that TSA officers did not create the funding standoff and are themselves caught in the middle of a political dispute far above their pay grade. Maintaining professionalism and vigilance in those circumstances can be challenging, but it is essential to preserving both security and a basic level of customer service.
The longer the shutdown lasts, the more likely it is that some officers will seek other opportunities in the private sector or in more stable parts of the federal government. High turnover has long been an issue at TSA, which has invested in pay raises and career development programs aimed at keeping experienced staff. A sequence of shutdowns that repeatedly leaves officers unpaid could undermine those retention efforts and make it harder to rebuild staffing levels once the funding crisis ends.
What Comes Next for DHS, TSA and Travelers
For now, negotiations in Washington remain unresolved, and there is no firm date for when DHS funding might be restored. Lawmakers have traded public statements blaming one another for the impasse, but behind the scenes staff are reportedly exploring potential compromises on immigration enforcement language attached to the spending bill. Until those talks yield a concrete agreement that can pass both chambers of Congress and receive the president’s signature, TSA officers will continue to work without pay and travelers will continue to face uncertainty at the checkpoint.
If a short term deal is struck in the coming days, the most visible impacts on air travel may be relatively limited, with only isolated reports of longer lines and missed flights at a handful of busy airports. A more prolonged shutdown, extending for weeks, would almost certainly deepen the disruption, as unpaid staff reach their financial limits and attrition accelerates. In that scenario, airlines and airports may be forced to make more significant operational adjustments, including changing flight schedules or recommending even earlier arrival times.
For travelers, the best approach is to stay informed, remain flexible and plan conservatively. That means giving yourself more time than you think you need, keeping an eye on the news as well as on your airline’s updates, and approaching the checkpoint with patience for the officers who are working under difficult conditions. The politics behind the DHS shutdown may be complex, but its day to day impact at the airport is simple and immediate. The sooner lawmakers can restore stable funding, the sooner security lines and flight operations can return to a more predictable rhythm.