TSA agents are working without pay for the second time in five months.
TAMPA, Fla. — The spring break travel rush is ramping up at Tampa International Airport just as a partial government shutdown is putting pressure on airport security checkpoints across the country once again.
Tampa International expects 3.1 million passengers to pass through its terminals between March 5 and April 13, marking one of the airport’s busiest travel periods of the year.
According to Google Flights, Tampa and Sarasota rank among the top 10 spring break destinations for 2026, drawing thousands of travelers to West Florida during the next several weeks.
The surge in travel comes as Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers are working without pay due to the ongoing partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security.
TSA employees are considered essential workers, meaning they must continue working even though they are not currently receiving paychecks until the shutdown ends.
Union leaders say the situation is creating stress for officers already dealing with heavy travel crowds.
“Growing up, you always heard, ‘Get a government job — steady paycheck, you don’t have to worry,’” said Joseph Groover, first vice president of AFGE Local 556, which represents TSA officers. “Not really the case right now, it seems.”
TSA officers are also still recovering from the longest government shutdown in history, which lasted 43 days and ended in November. Groover said he and many other agents are still paying off their loans from then.
He and other union members have begun delivering groceries to TSA officers and their families at airports including Tampa International and St. Pete-Clearwater International to help them get through the shutdown.
“Hopefully we can feed somebody’s family or help them stretch another day or two,” Groover said. “We just hope this shutdown ends pretty soon.”
The shutdown has already caused major disruptions at other airports around the country.
Travelers in Houston’s Hobby Airport have reported security wait times exceeding three hours, while in New Orleans, lines stretched into the airport’s parking garage.
At Tampa International, wait times have been far shorter so far — peaking around 30 to 45 minutes on Monday — but airport officials are still monitoring conditions closely as travel ramps up.
For the first time, Tampa International has also installed digital displays showing real-time TSA wait times in the terminal near Airside A, giving travelers another way to plan ahead before heading through security. The MyTSA app also shows passengers’ estimated wait times at any airport across the country.
Even with those tools, officials say preparation remains the most important step for travelers. The airport recommends passengers arrive at least two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights.