How to monitor airport security lines at US airports while TSA officers go without pay

Scenes of airport security lines spilling out of terminals may be adding a new layer of stress for travelers as the busy spring break season unfolds.

Some airports have seen wait times stretch well past an hour. In recent days, passengers reported waiting up to two hours in line at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, while people were advised to get to the airports in New Orleans and Austin, Texas, as much as three hours before their flights.

Many other airports reported wait times in line with normal conditions, making it difficult for travelers — especially those with upcoming trips or those accustomed to arriving at the last minute — to know what to expect.

The uneven delays are being driven by a mix of factors, including a partial government shutdown that has strained Transportation Security Administration staffing, along with heavy spring break crowds. The result is a patchwork of conditions that can shift quickly, even within the same airport.

That unpredictability makes checking TSA wait times before a scheduled departure a key step for airline customers right now.

TSA is not actively managing its sites during the shutdown, meaning the wait times listed on the MyTSA mobile app may not be accurate. Experts say the estimated wait times listed on third-party websites tracking TSA lines may also be outdated during the shutdown if they rely on publicly available data.

“Luckily, major airports tend to list those checkpoint times, terminal by terminal. I can’t think of a major one that doesn’t,” said Eric Rosen, director of travel content for The Points Guy, a travel and finance advice website.

The most reliable way to monitor wait times right now is by checking an airport's websites and social media accounts, Rosen said, including the social platform X, where many airports have been sharing timely updates and guidance.

Still, travelers should keep in mind that airport conditions can change quickly, meaning any information might not reflect what is happening at a specific time.

Experts say it’s best to check airport conditions early and often. Waiting until a few hours before a flight can leave little to no margin for delays — for example, if the drive to the airport takes 45 minutes for a flight leaving in three hours.

The shutdown, which began Feb. 14, affects only the Department of Homeland Security, which includes TSA. It is the third funding lapse in a year that has left roughly 50,000 TSA agents working without pay and waiting for money from missed paychecks.

Employee absences are rising as the shutdown drags on because unpaid TSA workers face growing financial strain, making it harder to afford basics, like gas or childcare, while continuing to report for work, according to the American Federation of Government Employees, the union that represents most airport security screeners. Homeland Security has said at least 366 TSA agents have quit during the shutdown.

“It’s so hard to predict where these bottlenecks are going to pop up,” Rosen said. "One airport might have 30% of its TSA agents calling out in a certain day and 10% the next day. There’s just no way to know that in advance.”

Democrats in Congress have said Homeland Security won’t get funded until new restrictions are placed on federal immigration operations following the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis earlier this year.

Tyler Hosford, a security director at global risk management firm International SOS, said travelers should take a proactive approach rather than relying solely on monitoring TSA wait times.

When booking travel, flying earlier in the day can be helpful, he said, because passengers would have more time to adjust their plans if something goes wrong — whether that means rebooking another flight, departing from a different airport or arranging a rental car.

“I always say you should have a Plan B under the best of circumstances,” Hosford said. “But I think we're to a point where you need to start having Plan C, D and maybe even E.”

If travelers arrive at an airport with long lines, it doesn't have to be a hopeless situation, Hosford said.

Passengers can ask staff at security checkpoints for an estimated wait time and whether any assistance is available to move through the line more quickly.

"Always talk to people. It can never hurt to ask," Hosford said. "The worst they can say is, ’No, we can't help you.'"

If that happens, he said, contact the airline — by phone, on their mobile app or on social media — to ask about options for rebooking.

“Never stay stagnant. You want to be moving forward trying to find your options," he said. "It can feel exhausting, but the alternate is you potentially get stuck and miss your flight.”

People wave goodbye to departing passengers at a TSA security screening checkpoint at the Jacksonville International Airport in Jacksonville, Fla., Monday, March 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Airline passengers wait in long lines to get through the TSA security screening at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Lekan Oyekanmi)

Airline passengers wait in long lines to get through the TSA security screening at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Lekan Oyekanmi)

Airline passengers wait in long lines to get through the TSA security screening at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Lekan Oyekanmi)

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Attorneys are drawing on statements from a handwritten manuscript by the late mobster James “Whitey” Bulger in an effort to overturn a former FBI agent's murder conviction, saying the crime boss’s own words show that the agent was framed.

Lawyers for former FBI agent John Connolly filed a motion in Miami-Dade Circuit Court on Monday seeking to vacate his conviction, citing what they describe as newly discovered evidence that prosecutors failed to disclose for years.

The material includes FBI reports documenting Bulger’s statements and the unfinished handwritten manuscript the FBI seized during a search of Bulger’s apartment after his 2011 arrest.

In their filing, Connolly's lawyers say Bulger, who led Boston’s Winter Hill Gang, asserted in the documents that Connolly didn't leak information to him that was used in the 1982 killing of businessman John Callahan in Miami, contradicting the prosecution’s case against Connolly. Instead, Bulger identified another FBI agent, John Morris, as his mole, and described Connolly as a “sacrificial lamb,” according to the filing.

Connolly, now 85, was convicted in Florida of second-degree murder and racketeering.

In the manuscript, Bulger wrote that he was a “criminal almost all of my life," and described using inside tips to stay ahead of the law.

“I never thought the day would come that I’d be writing a story about my criminal activity,” Bulger wrote.

The attorneys claim Bulger was writing the manuscript to help clear Connolly's name.

They also say Bulger's writings and FBI statements made after the mobster's arrest weren't previously disclosed to the defense.

The material came to light after a longtime prosecutor involved in the Connolly case resigned from the Miami-Dade state attorney's office following reports of misconduct that included granting favors to witnesses and coordinating witness testimony.

In 2024, Connolly's lawyers received a letter from Miami-Dade Chief Assistant State Attorney Jose Arrojo informing them that a sealed envelope labeled “confidential” contained the Bulger manuscript and his statements to the FBI.

In their filing, Connolly's lawyers accuse prosecutors of a general pattern of misconduct, arguing that they withheld evidence favorable to the defense in violation of constitutional requirements. Courts have previously found that some evidence in the case was improperly withheld, though they ruled it was not material enough to overturn the conviction.

Connolly’s attorneys say the newly surfaced material goes further, creating reasonable doubt about his guilt.

Connolly, who had been serving a 40-year sentence, was granted compassionate release in 2021 after a judge cited his terminal illness and the risks of COVID-19.

Connolly was a special agent with the FBI in Boston in July 1982 when mob hitman John Martorano shot Callahan in the back of the head and left his body in the trunk of a car at Miami International Airport.

Connolly was indicted on a first-degree murder charge 21 years later. At the time, prosecutors claimed Bulger and Stephen Flemmi ordered Callahan's killing after Connolly told them the FBI was investigating Callahan's ties to Bulger and his gang for the 1981 killing of Roger Wheeler, who owned World Jai Alai.

But in the manuscript and post-arrest FBI statements, Connolly's lawyers claim Bulger stated that Connolly was framed by Morris, who was Connolly's FBI supervisor.

“I am sure everyone close to me thought all the information I had came from (Connolly), Bulger wrote. “I didn’t discourage that thought — sadly for Connolly, he took the heat for warning me to take off and other things that had come from (Morris).”

Bulger accused Morris of becoming a “star witness” against Connolly to save himself. Morris testified against Connolly as part of a cooperation agreement that granted him immunity from prosecution.

While leading his gang, Bulger, who inspired Jack Nicholson’s character in the 2006 Martin Scorsese movie “The Departed” and was portrayed by Johnny Depp in the 2015 gangster drama “Black Mass,” also served as an FBI informant against the Mafia. Bulger denied that claim.

Willingham reported from Boston. Associated Press reporter Michael Casey in Boston contributed to this report.

FILE - This booking photo provided by the U.S. Marshals Service shows James "Whitey" Bulger on June 23, 2011. (U.S. Marshals Service via AP, File)