Trending Now - TSA Staffing Issues Cause Major Travel Delays at Philly Airport

WHO:

Transportation Security Administration (TSA)

Adam Stahl, Acting Deputy TSA Administrator

Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)

TSA officers

WHAT:

Philadelphia International Airport will temporarily close the Terminal A-West and Terminal F security checkpoints starting on March 18th, 2026.

TSA PreCheck will still be available at Terminals A-East and D/E.

Adam Stahl stated, "We're going to have [TSA officers] that can't afford to go into work and individuals quit — possibly altogether."

The national callout rate for TSA officers was reported at 10.19% on March 15th, 2026, and again on March 17th, 2026.

Philadelphia International Airport has a total of six main checkpoints, with only three currently open and operating.

Nearly 10% or 2,700 TSA officers across the country called in sick on March 17th, 2026.

Atlanta and New Orleans airports reported nearly 40% of TSA officers calling out sick on March 17th, 2026.

One of the four security checkpoints at Atlanta remained closed on March 18th, 2026, due to the staffing shortage.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is expecting more than 350,000 travelers from March 19th, 2026, through March 22nd, 2026.

Philadelphia International Airport will temporarily close three security checkpoints: Terminal A-West, Terminal C, and Terminal F starting on March 18th, 2026.

A total of 366 TSA officers have quit during the ongoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown.

The national callout rate for TSA officers was 10.19% on March 15th, 2026.

Wait times at LaGuardia Airport in New York City have reached nearly three hours, and over two hours at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

WHERE:

Philadelphia International Airport, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

LaGuardia Airport, New York City, New York

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Atlanta, Georgia

William P. Hobby Airport, Houston, Texas

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, New Orleans, Louisiana

WHEN:

The checkpoint closures at Philadelphia International Airport will begin on March 18th, 2026.

The national callout rate of 10.19% was reported on March 15th, 2026.

WHY:

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson stated, "The Democrats' reckless DHS shutdown is causing TSA officers to go without pay for the third time in nearly six months."

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson stated that the ongoing DHS shutdown has caused TSA officers to go without pay for the third time in nearly six months, leading to financial difficulties that force them to call out sick.

The closures are due to staffing shortages amid the ongoing DHS shutdown.

TSA officials indicated that the shutdown has led to increased unscheduled absences among TSA officers.

HOW:

TSA is determining airport and security line closures based on staffing levels and ongoing risk assessments, which include threat and intelligence inputs.

(UPDATED March 18, 2026 23:09 UTC)

Philadelphia International Airport will temporarily close the Terminal A-West and Terminal F security checkpoints starting today, March 18, 2026, while TSA PreCheck remains available at Terminals A-East and D/E. Adam Stahl highlighted concerns about staffing, noting that the national callout rate for TSA officers was reported at over 10 percent earlier this week, with some officers unable to afford to come to work. A spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security attributed these issues to a shutdown caused by Democrats, which has left TSA officers without pay for the third time in nearly six months.

(UPDATED March 18, 2026 21:09 UTC)

Today, Philadelphia International Airport is facing significant delays as only three of its six main security checkpoints are open, following a nationwide call-out of nearly 2,700 TSA officers on March 17. In Atlanta, one of the four security checkpoints remains closed due to staffing shortages, with nearly 40% of TSA officers absent, while Hartsfield-Jackson is bracing for over 350,000 travelers from March 19 through March 22. A spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security attributed these issues to the ongoing DHS shutdown, which has left TSA officers without pay for the third time in six months, leading to financial struggles that have resulted in many calling in sick.

(UPDATED March 18, 2026 19:30 UTC)

Today, the Transportation Security Administration announced that Philadelphia International Airport will temporarily close three security checkpoints starting March 18, 2026, due to staffing shortages amid the ongoing Department of Homeland Security shutdown. A total of 366 TSA officers have quit during this period, leading to a national callout rate of 10.19% as of last Monday, which has resulted in significantly increased wait times at major airports like LaGuardia and Hartsfield-Jackson. TSA officials are making these decisions based on current staffing levels and ongoing risk assessments, including threat and intelligence inputs.