With a partial federal government shutdown ongoing, officials with the Houston Airport System said on March 23 that passengers could continue to see growing wait times at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), including in some cases exceeding four hours at IAH.
As a result, federal agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have begun supporting Transportation Security Administration operations at airports nationwide, including in Houston, Houston Airport System officials announced in a March 23 news release.
Some context
Due to the partial federal government shutdown, which began Feb. 14, TSA officers are working without pay, which is creating staffing shortages that have led to longer than typical wait times at airports nationwide.
As previously reported by Community Impact, TSA wait times March 8 exceeded two hours at HOU, while airport officials urged IAH passengers to allow extra time for security screening due to shutdown TSA checkpoints.
Other factors include including the closures of TSA checkpoints at terminals C and D, and CLEAR not operating, per the release.
Diving in deeper
Per the release, with the addition of ICE agents at Houston airports, screening procedures for passengers remain unchanged. Additionally, officials noted the number of available TSA screening lanes can vary by airport and shift, depending on staffing levels.
To see what other changes are happening at your terminal, including baggage checks and security, visit the Houston Airport System’s website.
Additionally, officials noted some international air carriers have recently moved from Terminal D to E at IAH.
Learn more
For estimated security wait times at HOU, click here. For estimated wait times at IAH, click here. To learn more about recent international airline moves at IAH, click here.