Travelers wait in a security line that overflowed outside the terminal at Austin–Bergstrom International Airport on Oct. 20, 2025. A similar situation unfolded Friday morning, with more than 35,000 passengers expected to depart.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Flyers faced long lines at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport early Friday and will likely face them again Saturday as vacationers flock to the airport for spring break travel amid a partial government shutdown that has left Transportation Security Administration officers working without pay.
Security lines stretched out the door of the Barbara Jordan Terminal and down the sidewalk starting about 5 a.m. Friday, but congestion began to wane after 7 a.m. This weekend is expected to be one of the busiest of the year at Austin-Bergstrom due largely to the influx of travelers for spring break next week and the South by Southwest Conference and Festival, which kicked off Thursday.
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Austin-Bergstrom officials estimated upward of 35,000 people could fly out of Austin on Friday and urged travelers to arrive early and be prepared for lines. The airport is increasing staffing to help passengers navigate the busy terminal.
“Conditions can change at any time given the volume of travelers this weekend,” a post on the airport’s social media said.
Extended lines for TSA began this morning around 5 am & cleared up around 7 am. Lines are now at a regular volume but conditions can change at any time given the volume of travelers this weekend.
Please give yourself plenty of time if you’re flying out of AUS this weekend! pic.twitter.com/q87Sik8UDl
— Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (@AustinAirport) March 13, 2026
More than 30,000 departing passengers are expected Saturday — 50% more than a typical Saturday — with the terminal projected to get particularly busy from 4 to 8 a.m., according to airport officials.
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Austin–Bergstrom International Airport on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Travelers wait in a security line that overflowed outside the terminal at Austin–Bergstrom International Airport on Oct. 20, 2025. A similar situation unfolded Friday morning, with more than 35,000 passengers expected to depart.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Travelers wait in a security line that overflowed outside the terminal at Austin–Bergstrom International Airport on Oct. 20, 2025. A similar situation unfolded Friday morning, with more than 35,000 passengers expected to depart.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
The increased wait times come as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security — which includes the Transportation Security Administration — remains shuttered during a partial government shutdown. TSA officers nationwide have been calling in sick at twice the normal rate because they are being asked to work without pay, CBS News reported. More than 300 officers left the agency entirely after the shutdown began Feb. 14.
The shutdown remained in effect Friday as congressional Democrats and Republicans continued to spar over reforms to federal immigration enforcement agencies, which are also part of DHS. In a pointed post to its official X account Friday, the department blamed Democrats for the congestion at Austin-Bergstrom.
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“The Democrats’ political games are making spring break travel a NIGHTMARE as they continue to withhold funding from DHS and refuse to pay our TSA officers,” the agency wrote.
It placed similar blame for issues in Atlanta and at Houston’s Hobby Airport earlier this week, when some travelers waited more than 3 1/2 hours for security screening.
Thanks to the Democrats’ reckless shutdown, security lines at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport are stretching OUT THE DOOR.
The Democrats’ political games are making spring break travel a NIGHTMARE as they continue to withhold funding from DHS and refuse to pay our @TSA… https://t.co/R5ODJJnTFF
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) March 13, 2026
The White House also weighed in on Austin’s security lines Friday: “Democrats need to stop playing political games and fund DHS,” an official White House account posted.
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Rep. Lloyd Doggett, an Austin Democrat, pushed back on Republican attacks in a statement Friday afternoon.
“Republicans, who have been posting about long passenger lines at the Austin airport, should look in the mirror. The only reason that TSA employees are not being paid is the Republican refusal to pay them,” Doggett said. “The Republican majority insists on holding TSA, Coast Guard and FEMA employees hostage in order to avoid any accountability for ICE wrongdoing and DHS mismanagement.”
Friday was just the first of what airport officials expect to be several very busy travel days at Austin-Bergstrom through the rest of the month and into April. Sundays and Mondays are projected to be particularly busy; departures could eclipse 30,000 on March 22-23, March 29-30, and April 5-6.
Airport officials encouraged passengers to arrive 2 1/2 hours early for domestic flights and 3 hours early for international routes, and travelers should consider adding extra time if they are checking bags, returning rental cars or flying out on one of the peak days.
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Officials hope a new security checkpoint, which opened late last month on the west end of the terminal, will help keep lines moving. Checkpoint 4 has four lanes for general screening.
Travelers can check current wait times by downloading the MyTSA app.
