More airport disruptions expected as TSA agents quit amid first weekend without full pay [View all]

Source: CNN US

Updated Mar 16, 2026, 10:05 AM ET
PUBLISHED Mar 16, 2026, 4:00 AM ET


One month into the partial government shutdown, hundreds of Transportation Security Administration workers going without full pay have quit, while others have taken unscheduled time off, prompting more travel headaches as a winter storm slams the Midwest and spring break travelers try to fly.

More than 300 TSA agents have quit, the Department of Homeland Security said in an X post Friday. This weekend, TSA workers missed their first full paycheck since the partial shutdown began in mid-February after funding for DHS, which oversees TSA, lapsed amid a standoff between Republicans and Democrats over federal immigration reform.

In a letter Sunday, the CEOs of major airlines, including American, Delta, Southwest and JetBlue urged Congress to restore DHS funding and embrace a bipartisan solution to ensure federal aviation workers are paid during shutdowns. “It’s difficult, if not impossible, to put food on the table, put gas in the car and pay rent when you are not getting paid,” the letter said.

Late last year, the longest government shutdown on record came to an end after an increasing number of air traffic controllers and TSA screeners did not show up to work. Air traffic controllers are not affected by the ongoing partial shutdown.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/16/us/airport-wait-tsa-delay-agents-quit