The three-hour-long TSA lines that caused some travelers to miss flights over the weekend spilled into Monday at George Bush Intercontinental Airport and were still an hour long at William P. Hobby Airport, according to Houston Airports’ website.
The delays come as TSA agents work without pay due to the shutdown, now in its 34th day, which has shortened staffing and thinned security operations at U.S. airports, such as Houston’s. Travelers missed their flights out of Houston Sunday as they stood, sat and waited in TSA lines wrapping around and out of airport terminals for as long as three hours.
Travelers endure long lines as they check in at Terminal E at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Monday, Nov., 3, 2025. (Kirk Sides/Houston Chronicle)
Houston native Joshua Elouidor was back at Bush Airport in Terminal E Monday after missing his flight to Atlanta the day before. He works as a box truck driver and is traveling to help a customer with a move.
Elouidor stepped into line at around 10 a.m., about five hours ahead of his 2:55 p.m. takeoff. After waiting roughly three hours only to miss his flight Sunday, he was still worried about reaching his gate on time.
“I still feel like I’m probably not even early enough just because if I was waiting three hours yesterday, then Lord knows how much I’ll be waiting now,” he said.
Sergio Palacios and his family were standing in the TSA line at Terminal E with roughly an hour until they had to reach their gate. The entry to the final security checkpoint was visible in the far distance on the opposite end of the terminal – beyond several long, winding lines.
“I believe we’ll be alright,” Palacios said.
Arly Montez, 22, encountered two long lines staffed by six TSA agents in Terminal E. She was on her way to El Salvador, trying to board a 10:30 a.m. flight, and waited 15 to 20 minutes just for her carry-on bags. In a video posted to TikTok, she encouraged other passengers to leave earlier than expected if they plan to fly at Bush Airport.
“Before all this, every single flight was amazing,” Montez said. “The TSA line took about 25 to 35 minutes, max.”
Joanni Luna, 38, said if she hadn’t had TSA Pre-Check, she would have been one of the people who missed their flight. The Lufkin resident was flying to Cancun at 9:31 a.m. in Terminal E and waited 30 minutes at the security checkpoint. She recalled seeing three TSA workers who assisted with boarding pass and passport checking, bag screening and pick up.
Travelers endure long lines as they check in at Terminal E at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Monday, Nov., 3, 2025. (Kirk Sides/Houston Chronicle)
“The security crews were pleasant and happy. I made sure to thank them,” Luna said. “I have always had a great experience flying, no complaints.”
IAH workers, dressed in bright orange polo shirts, have been directing the waiting travelers through the twists and turns of ribboned gates. As the federal government’s shutdown reached its 34th day, Elouidor empathized with the TSA worker shortage.
“If they aren’t getting their paycheck, then why would you show up to work? You know what I mean?” he said of the agents. “Hey, you can’t be mad at them.”
Houston resident Rajeane Sam was standing in line at Terminal A at noon, frustrated about the state of the government shutdown and its impact on the airport. Terminal A was congested with travelers as a TSA line filled the narrow hallway leading to the security checkpoint.
Despite the longer wait times, Sam understood the TSA workers’ point of view.
“If they’re not paying them, I wouldn’t come here either,” Sam said. “People got to take care of their families.”
3-HOUR TSA DELAYS:Â “Godspeed, anyone flying out of IAH today.”
If you’re trying to fly during the shutdown, here are some steps to follow to minimize the wait time.
Arrive several hours early during delays
Travelers endure long lines as they check in at Terminal E at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Monday, Nov., 3, 2025. (Kirk Sides/Houston Chronicle)
The most critical words of advice are simple – “arrive early.” But how early is safe for your flight? The answer has been fluid in recent days, changing with the length of lines.
Most airports recommend passengers arrive two hours early with standard TSA wait times of 30 minutes or less. But travelers who followed the two-hour rule Sunday missed their flight.
Instead, you can heed the advice by adding two hours to the latest line length estimates with any extra time cushion as a precaution. While TSA lines lasted three hours or longer Sunday, passengers should have arrived at least five hours in advance.
Know your terminals
You can cut down on time spent rushing through the airport by checking on the status of your airport’s terminals – TSA checkpoints may be open at some, but not all. Bush Airport limited its TSA operations to Terminals A and E over the weekend, and Hobby Airport reduced its screening lanes.
At Bush, United Airlines passengers had to check their bags at Terminal C before embarking to Terminal E for security screening.
“No matter where you check your bag, you still have … a long-ass walk,” a Facebook user named John George said Sunday. “Happy Sunday everybody.”
Should you get TSA PreCheck or CLEAR?
Travelers endure long lines as they check in at Terminal E at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Monday, Nov., 3, 2025. (Kirk Sides/Houston Chronicle)
As of about 8 a.m. Monday, there was no apparent difference in wait times for standard security and TSA PreCheck at Bush Intercontinental Airport. Both were still in the three-hour range, and Hobby Airport didn’t have TSA PreCheck listed on its webpage for estimated wait times.
Travelers who have TSA PreCheck step into their own security line without removing their shoes, belts, light jackets, electronics and 3-1-1 liquids. The lines are typically shorter than standard security, lasting under 10 minutes (though not accounting for a government shutdown), according to TSA.
Enrollment costs between $76.75 and $85, depending on the enrollment provider.
CLEAR is another security alternative that screens travelers with a face scan as “the fastest and most predictable way to get through airport security,” according to Houston Airports. Its wait times were not listed at either Bush or Hobby airports Monday morning.
In a video posted to Facebook Sunday, a user named Toni Toombs Gordon showed all three security lines backed up and barely moving inside a Houston airport terminal.
“The people to my left are CLEAR,” Gordon said, panning the camera to another stationary security line. “CLEARÂ has the same problem. So while membership does have its privileges, we are all in this same struggle together.”
Book your parking in advance
Parking is limited to pre-booked reservations when a garage’s capacity reaches 85%, so book in advance as a precaution.
One of the Bush Airport ecopark garages was only accepting parking reservations Monday morning, and two other ecopark lots were up to 76% and 62% capacity. Parking at Terminals C through E was 67% filled, and Terminals A and B were at 36% capacity.
Daily parking fees at Bush range from $9 to $25.
At Hobby airport, the $10-per-day Ecopark lot was 78% full. Two others – the $25 per day Red and Blue garages – were listed with 0% capacity.
You can book parking on each airport’s website.
What does TSA say about the delays?
TSA provided a statement saying that Bush and Hobby “experienced longer-than-normal delays in screening as a result of a workforce shortage over the weekend.” The agency added that the government shutdown had minimal impact on operations nationally, but occasional delays should be expected locally in some parts of the U.S.
“The longer the shutdown goes on, the more severe the impact on our TSA workforce, who have expenses they must pay for, making it harder to show up for work when not being paid. We kindly ask for the public’s patience and understanding as our officers are forced to work unpaid at this time,” TSA officials said.
This post will be updated.
This article originally published at Houston airport TSA delays: A list of things to do if you’re flying during the government shutdown.