Travelers at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) found themselves in a sea of frustration and uncertainty this weekend, as hours-long security lines snaked through terminals, hallways, and even out onto the chilly sidewalks. The cause? A partial federal government shutdown that has left the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) woefully understaffed, just as spring break and religious holidays have triggered the busiest travel days of the year.
On Friday, March 27, and Saturday, March 28, 2026, the airport became a flashpoint for the nation’s simmering political and logistical crisis. According to WBAL-TV 11 News, some travelers waited two to three hours just to check their bags, then faced another couple of hours to clear security. The lines, at times, wrapped around the concourse, spilled into cafeterias, and stretched down hallways. For those forced to wait outside, the cold was an added insult to injury. "There's babies outside, the elderly, people in wheelchairs, they're freezing, they didn't come to spend three hours outside," said Kevin, a frequent flier from Virginia traveling with his family.
The situation was so dire that airport officials projected 31,000 travelers would depart from BWI on Friday alone—making it the busiest day for the airport this year. The surge was driven by a confluence of spring break vacations and religious holidays, according to on-scene reporting by Fox 5 and other outlets. But the real bottleneck was at security: with only one checkpoint open at times, digital boards in the concourse simply read, “Checkpoints are experiencing longer than normal wait times. We apologize for any inconvenience.”
Travelers described the ordeal in blunt terms. Catherine Minty, who arrived four hours ahead of her flight, told WBAL-TV 11 News, "(We) pretty much (went on) a whole tour through the entire airport." Others, like Rebecca Ehlers, anxiously calculated whether they’d make their flights: "We're iffy. If we get through this in the next 15 minutes, we'll make it." Some, like Joan Royals, tried to keep their spirits up: "I was nervous, but then, once I saw it moving, I was a little bit more confident." But for many, patience wore thin. "People are just angry. The U.S Congress is a disgrace, both parties. Your job is to serve the people, it's not to divide us and to label us, this is pretty basic services and you've completely failed us ... I'm embarrassed to be an American today; I hope Congress does something about this," Kevin vented to WBAL-TV 11 News.
The root of the chaos was a partial government shutdown that had been dragging on for weeks, leaving TSA agents without pay. By the time the weekend rolled around, nearly 500 TSA workers had quit since the shutdown began last month, according to Fox 5, and as many as 94 called out on Saturday alone. The result: massive staffing shortages, checkpoint closures, and a ripple effect of missed flights and frayed nerves. BWI-Marshall spokesman Jonathan Dean offered a glimmer of hope, telling WBAL-TV 11 News, "We're very hopeful that conditions will continue to improve in coming days, but at this point, we certainly recommend travelers do arrive early."
For the TSA agents who remained on duty, the situation was equally grim. Many worked without pay, and the lack of compensation was a key reason for the spike in callouts and resignations. Airport staff did what they could, handing out water and snacks to weary travelers, and even local business leaders stepped in. Dewan Clayborn, president and CEO of the Central Maryland Chamber of Commerce, said, "Our board of directors came together during our board meeting last Tuesday and said, 'We have to do something about TSA.'" Some travelers even collected donations for TSA workers as a gesture of support.
Nationally, the picture was no better. According to reporting from multiple sources including Fox 5 and WBAL-TV, airports across the country—Dulles (IAD), Reagan National (DCA), Charlotte Douglas (CLT), and Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL)—were all plagued by long TSA lines, checkpoint closures, and warnings to arrive several hours ahead of scheduled departures. Wait times reached as long as six hours at some of the most affected airports, with real-time updates available via airport websites and the MyTSA mobile app. Even TSA PreCheck lanes, usually a fast track, were closed at some locations due to the shortages.
The political response was as chaotic as the airport terminals. Early Friday, the U.S. Senate passed a compromise funding plan aimed at restoring pay for TSA workers and funding most Department of Homeland Security (DHS) operations. But the measure stalled in the House, leaving the situation unresolved as the weekend began. President Donald Trump, in a bid to stem the crisis, deployed Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to some airports to help with crowd control and assist TSA agents. He also announced plans to sign an emergency order to immediately pay TSA employees, a move confirmed by late-breaking reports on Saturday.
Despite the emergency measures, the effects of the shutdown were not expected to dissipate overnight. Hundreds of TSA agents had already quit, and the number of callouts was expected to grow. Even with incoming pay, it would take time to rebuild staffing levels and reopen closed checkpoints. In the meantime, airport officials and the TSA continued to warn travelers to arrive at least three hours early and to check real-time wait times via airport websites or the MyTSA app.
For families and individuals who’d scrimped and saved for long-awaited vacations, the ordeal was a bitter pill. As Kevin put it, "The kids have been looking forward to this flight for a long time. It's pretty expensive; we're lucky that we're fortunate, but there's a lot of people here that have been saving up for years to go on these trips, and we've got these TSA agents who really are true Americans who are coming here today without pay."
Some travelers, like Catherine Minty, simply wished they’d known in advance: "Don't fly right now," she advised. "I would've literally driven if I knew this was going to happen." Others, like Will Broadus, tried to see the silver lining: "It was almost a regular walk in the park until we got right about back there, and then it started getting slow." Amid the confusion, Southwest Airlines agents handed out snacks and water, trying to manage their own public relations crisis and keep tempers from boiling over.
As the weekend drew to a close, the message from BWI and other airports was clear: the situation remained in flux, and travelers needed to prepare for the unexpected. For now, patience, flexibility, and a healthy dose of good humor might be the best carry-ons for anyone braving the airport lines.