HOUSTON – The Spring Break travel rush at William P. Hobby Airport is being accompanied by rainy weather and a TSA staffing shortage, leading to hours-long wait times at the security checkpoints on Sunday morning.
Airport officials are repeating that travelers should arrive early — more so than usual — for their flights and allow extra time for security.
KPRC 2 chief meteorologist Anthony Yanez snapped this picture of the lines at Hobby this morning.
Security checkpoint lines at William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) on the morning of March 8, 2026. (KPRC)
Due to the partial government shutdown over Homeland Security funding, there are less TSA employees to cover checkpoint lanes, and services like PreCheck are closed.
CLEAR lanes are open, but travelers should still anticipate long wait times. Some KPRC 2 viewers tell us they’ve missed their flights and waited upwards of three hours to make it through security. Lines are being funneled through baggage claim.
Security checkpoint line at William P. Hobby Airport around 8:30 a.m. on March 8, 2026. Spring Break travel rush impacted by a TSA staffing shortage led to longer-than-normal wait times at HOU. This line shows the security line backed up and funneled through baggage claim. (KPRC)
A KPRC 2 photojournalist at the airport said paramedics arrived after a person passed out while standing in line.
“Houston Airports urges passengers to remain flexible as the government shutdown may impact security operations from one day — and even one shift — to the next,” airport officials said.
Over at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, as of noon on Sunday, security wait times are significantly lower. The longest wait time reported was just shy of 30 minutes, according to Fly2Houston.com.
Check security wait times here:Anthony’s Weather Lab
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