Security wait times at BWI Airport continue to surge during spring break travel in Maryland
Travelers flying out of BWI Airport in Maryland can expect to see long security lines, especially during the morning hours, as a partial government shutdown continues to halt paychecks for TSA workers.
Airport officials warned of long wait times at security checkpoints continuing on Saturday amid the spring break travel rush. Delays are greatest in the mornings, but are also possible at any time of day, officials said.
Passengers are urged to arrive four hours earlier than their departure time. Airport and airline staff are assisting travelers with navigating the airport, officials said.
At around 3 p.m. Friday, airport officials said Security Checkpoints A and B were closed, with long wait times at Checkpoint C. The long lines were expected to continue into the evening.
On Thursday morning, BWI saw similarly long wait times, which normalized around midday. Officials said longer-than-normal wait times picked up again around 3 p.m. on Thursday. A similar pattern was expected yesterday.
Partial government shutdown
TSA officers have gone 42 days without pay, as of Friday, prompting high call-outs and resignations, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) leaders said.
On Friday, DHS said it began the process of paying TSA workers after President Trump said he would pass an emergency order to pay them if the partial shutdown continued. Department officials said TSA officers should begin getting their paychecks as early as Monday, March 30.
On Wednesday, March 25, TSA callouts reached 29.1% at BWI, DHS officials said.
On Thursday, 36% of TSA officers called out at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport. As of Friday morning, wait times at the airport were estimated at three and a half hours.
BWI Airport has deactivated its wait time estimation tool.
Congress continued to negotiate a deal Friday to fund most of DHS, including TSA, after the Senate approved the legislation during a late-night vote. The legislation excludes funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and parts of Customs and Border Protection.
