Critical data on airport security disruptions, screening volumes, and what the 2026 funding crisis reveals about travel program risk management
The airport security market reached $17.48 billion in 2025, with projections pointing toward $39.15 billion by 2035. Yet behind these investment figures lies a stark reality: the 2026 government funding crisis pushed wait times at major hubs past four hours and triggered a 76.9% throughput collapse at the nation's busiest airport. For business travel programs, these disruptions translate directly into missed meetings, rebooking costs, and policy exceptions that strain budgets. The statistics below reveal why booking flexibility and real-time support have become operational necessities rather than nice-to-have features.
Key Takeaways
- The 2026 shutdown created unprecedented security delays: Wait times at George Bush Intercontinental Airport ranged from 180 to 280 minutes during the funding lapse, turning routine connections into missed flights
- Staff shortages drove the crisis: About 50,000 TSA agents missed a month's pay, leading to call-out rates as high as 41% at Atlanta and 40% at Houston
- Atlanta took the hardest hit: Hartsfield-Jackson experienced a 76.9% decline in TSA throughput during the March-May 2026 period
- Normal operations show wide variance: Average Midway Airport wait times ranged from 2.94 to 3.43 minutes, but peak times pushed past 14 minutes even without a crisis
- TSA processes massive volume: The agency screened 64.2 million passengers in January 2026 alone, meaning even small disruptions affect thousands of travelers
TSA Wait Time Benchmarks Under Normal Operations
Before examining crisis-level disruptions, these baseline statistics establish what business travelers can expect during standard airport operations.
1. Average Midway Airport wait time: 2.94 minutes in March 2026
Chicago Midway reported an average wait time of 2.94 minutes in March 2026. This baseline figure represents optimal conditions and explains why travelers often underestimate how quickly security lines can deteriorate during staffing shortages or high-volume periods.
2. Peak travel wait times averaged 12 minutes at Midway in March 2026
During peak periods in March 2026, Midway wait times averaged 12 minutes. The four-fold increase from average to peak times demonstrates why arrival time buffers matter for business travelers with tight schedules.
3. Maximum wait time at Midway reached 25 minutes in March 2026
The maximum wait time of 25 minutes at Midway in March 2026 occurred during a normal operating month. For companies managing travel policies, this variance underscores why rigid arrival windows create risk.
4. TSA PreCheck wait times typically range from 0 to 15 minutes
Standard TSA PreCheck lines stay between 0 and 15 minutes, classified as "Short" in official metrics. Business travel programs that encourage PreCheck enrollment gain predictability that standard screening cannot guarantee.
5. Wait times exceeding 30 minutes signal significant delays
Any wait time over 30 minutes is classified as "Long" and indicates operational stress at the checkpoint. During the 2026 crisis, multiple airports exceeded this threshold by hours, not minutes.
The 2026 Government Shutdown: A Case Study in Travel Disruption
The 2026 funding lapse created the most severe TSA disruption in the agency's history, offering data-driven lessons for travel program resilience.
6. Approximately 50,000 TSA agents missed a month's pay
About 50,000 TSA agents went without pay during the shutdown, creating the staffing shortage that drove wait times to unprecedented levels. For travel managers, this statistic illustrates how quickly external events can invalidate routine travel assumptions.
7. TSA employees accumulated 87 unpaid workdays across fiscal year 2026 by March 25
According to TSA testimony to Congress, employees had accumulated 87 days of work without timely pay across fiscal year 2026 by March 25. That total covered multiple funding lapses, including the 43-day October–November 2025 shutdown and the 2026 DHS shutdown.
8. Nearly $1 billion in unpaid TSA payroll accumulated
The Department of Homeland Security reported in late March that nearly $1 billion in unpaid TSA wages was accumulated during the crisis. This scale of financial stress on the workforce translated directly into operational degradation at checkpoints.
9. More than 450 TSA employees resigned during the shutdown
Over 450 TSA workers quit during the funding lapse, compounding the staffing crisis beyond temporary call-outs. The resignations created longer-term capacity constraints even after normal funding resumed.
10. Wait times at Houston ranged from 180 to 280 minutes
George Bush Intercontinental Airport experienced wait times ranging from 180 to 280 minutes during the crisis. A three-to-four-hour security delay makes same-day flight rebooking nearly certain for business travelers. Tools like Flex, which lets travelers cancel flights up to two hours before the first departure, provide additional flexibility when major disruptions occur.
11. Average daily TSA throughput declined 6.7% from March to May 2026
Comparing the March-May 2026 period to the same months in 2025, daily TSA throughput fell 6.7%. This aggregate decline understates the severity at individual airports, where some locations saw throughput drop by more than three-quarters.
12. May 2026 saw the largest disruption with a 9.8% year-over-year decline
The single worst month during the funding lapse was May 2026, with throughput down 9.8% compared to May 2025. Extended disruptions of this length require travel programs with modification flexibility and consolidated billing to track rebooking costs.
Airport-by-Airport Impact: Where the Crisis Hit Hardest
The shutdown affected airports unevenly. These statistics reveal which hubs suffered most and which proved more resilient.
13. Atlanta experienced a 76.9% decline in TSA throughput
The reported average daily throughput at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport fell 76.9% between March and May 2026 compared with the same period in 2025. The researchers caution that staffing shortages may also have affected the completeness and consistency of airport-level reporting, so the figure is not a direct measure of passenger demand.
14. Atlanta's TSA call-out rate reached 41%
During the shutdown, 41% of Atlanta TSA staff called out on a given day. When nearly half the workforce is absent, even well-designed checkpoint capacity cannot maintain normal flow.
15. Houston's call-out rate hit 40%
George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston reported a 40% TSA call-out rate, nearly matching Atlanta. The similarity suggests systemic pressure rather than localized issues at specific airports.
16. Boston Logan experienced a 29.1% throughput decline
Boston Logan International Airport saw throughput fall 29.1% during the crisis period. While less severe than Atlanta, this level of disruption still creates significant rebooking and delay costs for business travelers.
17. Miami International throughput dropped 26.2%
Miami International Airport experienced a 26.2% decline in TSA throughput during the funding lapse. For companies with Latin American operations routing through Miami, this disruption affected international connection reliability.
18. JFK call-out rate reached 28.2%
JFK International Airport reported 28.2% of TSA workers calling out during the shutdown. Even this lower rate compared to Atlanta and Houston still created substantial delays at the New York hub.
19. Chicago O'Hare posted an 8.7% throughput increase
Not all airports suffered. Chicago O'Hare International Airport actually achieved an 8.7% year-over-year throughput increase during the crisis period, suggesting some travelers rerouted through hubs with better staffing levels.
20. Newark maintained stability with a 13.8% call-out rate
Newark Liberty International Airport had a call-out rate of just 13.8%, helping the airport achieve a 4.6% throughput increase. This variance between airports in the same region demonstrates why real-time information matters for travel decisions.
TSA Screening Volume and Traveler Experience
These statistics establish the scale of TSA operations and the friction points travelers encounter.
21. TSA screened 64.2 million passengers in January 2026
In a single month, TSA processed 64.2 million passengers. At this volume, even small percentage disruptions affect hundreds of thousands of travelers and generate substantial rebooking costs across corporate travel programs.
22. TSA screened 37.0 million checked bags in January 2026
Beyond passengers, TSA screened 37.0 million checked bags in January 2026. Bag screening delays compound passenger screening issues, creating cascading effects throughout airport operations.
23. TSA received 13,912 complaints in January 2026
The agency logged 13,912 complaints in January 2026 alone, representing 21.7 complaints per 100,000 passengers. For business travelers, these complaints often translate into productivity lost and meetings missed.
24. Passenger screening drove 11,105 complaints in January 2026
Of all TSA complaints, 11,105 related to passenger screening, accounting for 80% of total issues. The concentration in this single category highlights where checkpoint friction affects travelers most.
What These Statistics Mean for Business Travel Programs
The 2026 data reveals a fundamental truth: airport security disruptions create costs that extend far beyond the checkpoint. Missed flights trigger hotel rebookings. Changed itineraries require new car rentals. And tracking all these modifications across scattered receipts and expense reports consumes hours of administrative time.
Travel programs built for normal conditions struggle when wait times jump from 3 minutes to 280 minutes. The companies that navigated the 2026 crisis most effectively shared common characteristics:
- Cancellation flexibility built into bookings: Programs using cancellation protection could modify reservations without penalty fees eating into budgets
- Real-time support access: When flights needed rebooking at 10 PM, programs with 24/7 support could respond immediately rather than waiting for morning business hours
- Consolidated billing: Tracking travel costs across multiple payment methods can complicate reconciliation. With DirectBill, Engine extends a line of credit, Engine pays the hotels, and the customer receives one consolidated invoice after stays.
- Policy flexibility that adapts to conditions: Rigid policies that work during normal operations become obstacles during systemic disruptions. Travel policies should enforce compliance while allowing approved exceptions when external events demand flexibility
Engine's platform includes options designed to provide additional flexibility when travel plans change. FlexPro is a subscription for company hotel bookings that allows cancellation until noon on check-in day, including non-refundable rates. Refunds default to a one-year travel credit. FlexPro costs $299 per month or $2,999 per year.
Flex applies per booking for hotels and also lets travelers cancel flights up to two hours before the first departure.
Frequently Asked Questions
How accurate are real-time TSA wait time apps?
Real-time wait time data comes from a combination of TSA's own reporting and crowdsourced information. The data tends to be most accurate at major airports with high traveler volume and less reliable at smaller regional airports. During crisis periods like the 2026 shutdown, reported wait times often lagged actual conditions because the severity changed faster than reporting systems could update.
What are the benefits of TSA PreCheck beyond faster lines?
Beyond reduced wait times, TSA PreCheck offers predictability. Standard screening wait times can vary from 3 minutes to over 30 minutes at the same airport on different days. PreCheck lines show less variance, making it easier to plan arrival times. Travelers also keep shoes, belts, and light jackets on, and laptops stay in bags, reducing the fumbling that slows checkpoint progression.
Can I get compensation if my flight is delayed due to security wait times?
TSA wait times are not typically a basis for airline compensation because they occur before the airline's operational control begins. However, travel programs with cancellation protection can often recover costs for missed connections. Flex, for example, lets travelers cancel flights up to two hours before the first departure.
What items commonly cause delays at airport security checkpoints?
Liquids over 3.4 ounces, electronics larger than cell phones that are not removed from bags, and food items that appear dense on X-ray screens cause the most delays. Business travelers can reduce checkpoint time by packing a TSA-compliant liquids bag accessible at the top of carry-on luggage and keeping laptops in easily removable positions.
How does Engine help businesses manage travel during unpredictable airport conditions?
Engine provides several options for managing travel disruptions. FlexPro is a subscription for company hotel bookings that allows cancellation until noon on check-in day, including non-refundable rates, with refunds defaulting to a one-year travel credit. FlexPro costs $299 per month or $2,999 per year. Flex applies per booking for hotels and lets travelers cancel flights up to two hours before the first departure. Engine also provides 24/7 live support through Eva, Engine's AI assistant, with escalation to live agents by phone, chat, and email. Consolidated reporting helps businesses track travel activity and costs.
