MULTIPLE U.S. AIRPORTS — TSA call-out rates at major U.S. airports reached 10.22 percent nationwide on March 16, 2026, more than double pre-shutdown levels. TSA employees have been working without pay since February 14, 2026, due to a partial government shutdown.

Call-out rates at individual airports exceeded 30 percent at several major hubs on March 16. Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport recorded a 38.8 percent call-out rate, while Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport reached 37.1 percent and Houston Hobby Airport hit 35.2 percent. John F. Kennedy International Airport had a 30.4 percent rate, George Bush Intercontinental Airport recorded 24.4 percent, and LaGuardia Airport reached 20.8 percent.

The situation continued to deteriorate on subsequent days, with Houston Hobby Airport experiencing a 40.8 percent call-out rate on Tuesday. Nearly 36 percent of TSA officers called out at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport on Tuesday, while more than 34 percent called out at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Last Saturday, Houston Hobby Airport experienced a TSA call-out rate of 55 percent in a single day.

Since the shutdown began, nationwide TSA staff call-out rates have doubled from less than 2 percent to 6 percent on average. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has maintained an average call-out rate of 21.5 percent since the shutdown began. Houston Hobby Airport has had unscheduled absence rates over 30 percent on at least five days since the shutdown started.

Security screening wait times at multiple airports exceeded 60 minutes, with Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport experiencing wait times of nearly two hours. On Wednesday, three of six TSA security checkpoints at Philadelphia International Airport were closed.

366 transportation security officers left TSA employment between the start of the shutdown and March 16, 2026. TSA employees missed their first full paycheck last Friday due to the partial government shutdown. "Waiting in line because the government can't do their job, and it's ruining people's lives," said Cameron Cochems, a union steward and lead TSA officer.

"There could be scenarios where we may have to shut down airports," said Acting deputy TSA administrator Adam Stahl. TSA and the Department of Homeland Security are operating without funding due to a continuing stalemate in Washington.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the world's busiest airport by passenger volume. Training new TSA recruits takes four to six months.