The Not-So-Surprising Reason Why Some Airports Remain Immune To The Current Chaos

Egregious wait times at airports have quickly become all the rage — quite literally — as traveler frustration boils over, but the severity varies widely from one airport to another.

While some airports are reporting delays of six hours or more, others are moving travelers through security in six minutes or less. Why? The answer lies in staffing models and privatization.

During the government shutdown, private contractors continue to be paid through pre-funded contracts, while federal TSA employees are not. As a result, many TSA officers have called out or quit, while privately staffed airports remain largely unaffected.

On Sunday, more than 10% of TSA agents called out nationwide. New Orleans’ Louis Armstrong International Airport (MSY) saw the highest rate, with 42.3% of agents absent. “This pointless, reckless shutdown of our homeland security workforce has caused more than 400 TSA officers to quit and thousands to call out from work because they are not able to afford gas, childcare, food, or rent,” said Lauren Bis, acting assistant DHS secretary.

Roughly 20 airports in the United States participate in the TSA’s Screening Partnership Program (SPP), which allows private contractors to handle security screening instead of federal TSA officers. Most travelers do not even notice the difference.

The private contractors are held to the same standards as federally employed officers. Unlike TSA, private screeners are paid through pre-funded federal contracts, meaning their compensation is not disrupted during a government shutdown. TSA officers, however, are paid directly by the federal government and can be affected when funding lapses.

Dr. Evette Richards, who flew from one of the private contractor airports in Kansas City, Missouri, told the Daily Wire she had a smooth experience. 

Here’s the not-so-surprising reason your airport may have a longer wait time than others… pic.twitter.com/Bim0GhwMuy

— Brecca Stoll (@breccastoll) March 23, 2026

“I walked right in,” she said. “I believe our airport has contract TSA, so we are not in the long lines and the difficulties other people are experiencing, and hopefully we can get that resolved quickly because all those individuals [federal TSA employees] working without pay is just unbelievable.”

The partial government shutdown started on February 14, when the Department of Homeland Security’s funding expired. That meant February marked the last paycheck for TSA agents. They won’t see one again until Congressional Republicans and Democrats can agree on funding. Democrats will not fund the department without limitations and oversight placed on ICE and Customs and Border Patrol. Republicans want DHS funded without those conditions. TSA is simply caught in the crosshairs.

Amidst the drama, President Trump turned up the temperature by deploying ICE agents at fourteen airports on Monday to assist TSA. But funding DHS does not seem to be the president’s top priority for Congress. Trump said Congress should focus on passing the SAVE Act, which would require voters to bring legal identification to the polls. He even suggested Congress should forgo Easter to get the legislation done.