HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — As spring break begins, officials at Hobby Airport and Bush Intercontinental Airport are warning travelers of long TSA lines due to vacation travel and the partial government shutdown.
In a post on social media, Hobby Airport is advising travelers to arrive at the airport four to five hours before their scheduled flight to allow for extra time at TSA.
“On the way to the airport, everyone started texting in the group chat. TSA is down. It’s hours long wait. Get there ASAP,” Hobby traveler Austin Cuellar said.
Hobby Airport explained that the long wait times are not only due to spring break travel but also to the partial government shutdown. Officials explained that TSA operations may differ from one shift to the next due to the impact of the federal government shutdown. This comes after reports of TSA workers receiving only a portion of their pay on Friday due to the shutdown, according to a CNN report.
“The airport staff are saying it’s three to four hours to get through security because there’s only four lines open right now because of the government shutdown,” Hobby traveler Richard Johnson said.
According to the Hobby Airport’s website, the wait time to pass through the security checkpoint exceeded 120 minutes on Sunday morning.
Houston Airports, which oversees both Hobby Airport and Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), said in a statement that Sunday is one of the busiest days for spring break travel. According to projected travel days, IAH will see 185,000 passengers on Sunday alone. Other projected peak days are March 12 and March 15, according to the statement.
“Houston Airports is ready to welcome approximately 2.2 million travelers during the 2026 Spring Break travel period from March 5 through March 16, a 3% increase over last year,” the statement read.
Officials said in the statement that many passengers will be traveling to vacation destinations from IAH, including Orlando, Cancun, and Las Vegas.
Many travelers braced for the possibility that they might miss their flight.
“We got here at 10 a.m. My flight was departing at 1:50 p.m. We’re not going to make that,” Hobby Traveler Aaron Purvis said. “It’s very unnerving right now. I’m trying to keep high spirits right now to keep everybody else up. But I mean, everybody’s in a bad mood. Hot and sweaty and everything.”
The statement by Houston Airports also acknowledged that many travelers are also coming to Houston throughout this week.
“The Spring Break travel period coincides with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, the World Baseball Classic, and expanded cruise departures from Galveston, drawing visitors from around the world,” the statement explained.
Houston Airports advises travelers to arrive at the airport early, monitor wait times online, and arrange parking plans ahead of time.
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This story comes from our news partner ABC13 Houston.