NEWARK, New Jersey (WABC) — There will be more headaches for travelers on Saturday as long TSA lines continue to impact airports across the country and the Tri-State area.<\/p>\n
Over 121 million Americans are expected to fly over the next couple of weeks as spring break begins for many students and their families.<\/p>\n
Earlier on Saturday morning, it was about a 30-minute wait at Terminal C at Newark Liberty International Airport to get through the TSA security checkpoint line.<\/p>\n
The wait times can vary wildly between airports and even between terminals. In airports across the Tri-State, delays generally haven’t stretched beyond an hour, but in other airports, it’s been over two hours.<\/p>\n
The travel chaos comes amid the ongoing, partial government shutdown. TSA agents are not getting paid, with some starting to call out sick, resulting in significant impacts to staffing levels.<\/p>\n
Travelers tell Eyewitness News they are giving themselves enough time to make their flights.<\/p>\n
“I was kind of concerned about it, but for the most part, I think I’m going to be okay. Hopefully, yeah,” one woman said.<\/p>\n
“So, actually I’m coming from Costa Rica, so I just landed and I’m getting on another flight. So, I didn’t budget that much time, but to go to Costa Rica, I think we got here like 4 to 5 hours early. Yeah, like we just missed the cut off. So, we got on line right before the big buildup started.”<\/p>\n
Travel experts in the meantime are encouraging people to budget extra time as airports work through staffing shortages. This includes checking airport websites, which have real-time trackers on current delays. Travelers can also call ahead to check the status of their flights.<\/p>\n
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