O'Hare and Midway so far avoiding TSA delays plaguing airports elsewhere
So far, O’Hare and Midway international airports have evaded marathon security line delays that have disrupted spring break getaways for travelers in Houston and New Orleans.
Operations remain normal this week at O’Hare and Midway, city officials said, despite the partial government shutdown that’s resulted in thousands of TSA agents working without pay and a spike in employees calling in sick at some locations.
The Chicago Department of Aviation “is closely monitoring the impacts of the partial federal government shutdown and will continue working with our federal partners … to track any potential effects on staffing and regular services,” the CDA said in a statement Wednesday.
At the same time, the city recommends passengers arrive at the airport two hours before domestic flights and three hours ahead of international departures.
Flyers at William P. Hobby Airport in Houston and Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport spent hours in checkpoint lines over the weekend with U.S. Transportation Security Administration staffing shortages.
“Passengers should arrive four to five hours before their flight to allow for extra time for TSA screening,” Hobby officials announced on X Sunday amid lines that snaked outside the airport building. “TSA wait times could exceed 180 minutes.”
Louis Armstrong airport also advised travelers to show up three hours in advance and warned of two-hour checkpoint delays.
United Airlines Vice President of O’Hare Omar Idris said the carrier has been in frequent communication with the TSA regarding spring break operations.
“So far, the TSA has not given us any indication that they can’t meet what we’re asking them to meet, and they’ve held up to their word every holiday season and every spring break thus far,” Idris said during a Tuesday media roundtable.
He added, “we’re not seeing any coordinated actions, we’re not seeing anything that gives us anything to be fearful about.”
United also has contingency plans. “We’ve got other ways to get customers through, we’ve got other ways to screen bags and still run on time,” Idris explained.
United Executive Vice President of Communications and Advertising Josh Earnest noted “at the end of the day, these are public servants who are working hard to keep to keep the traveling public safe and they should get a paycheck.”
TSA employees already endured a 43-day government shutdown last fall and a four-day shutdown earlier in 2026, American Federation of Government Employees National President Everett Kelley said in a statement.
“AFGE members are tired of being forced on this roller coaster every time their elected officials fail to do their jobs. Government shutdowns are harmful to federal employees, their families, and our economy,” he said.
The current shutdown only affects the U.S. Department of Homeland Security amid an impasse between the White House and congressional Democrats who are seeking immigration enforcement reforms.
The trade group representing major carriers like United, American and Southwest airlines sided with TSA employees.
“The ironic part is the federal government fines you as a business if you’re not paying your workers. But they’re not paying theirs,” Airlines for America CEO Christopher Sununu remarked at a briefing last week.