Houston Airport: 4-Hour Security Lines Expected

0:00It's March 26th. This is Dallas News Today, AI-powered stories from your city. I'm Cory with the story. Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport is alerting travelers to expect security lines stretching up to four hours or longer on Thursday, March 26th. The delays stem from a federal government shutdown that's left TSA officers short-staffed while passenger numbers skyrocket due to big events like CERA Week and the NCAA men's basketball tournament. The partial shutdown kicked off on February 14th, forcing many TSA workers to keep screening without pay. To cope, they sometimes cut back on open lanes, which worsens backups during busy shifts nationwide. Travelers face some key changes at the airport right now. TSA checkpoints are running only in terminals A and E, with no pre-check or clear options available. Folks flying out of terminal D should drop bags there first, then head to terminal E for screening. Since they turned out lighter than usual, keeping weights in check, but officials predict

1:01a big jump Thursday and Friday, a handful of extra TSA national deployment officers showed up this week to help man more lanes during the crunch. Airport leaders have launched a central web page tracking live wait times, with timestamped updates and a video from the aviation director. They'll refresh it Wednesday night with Thursday's game plan, so check there to stay ahead of the lines.