Why Phoenix airport security lines are so bad this spring break

Airports nationwide on Tuesday, March 10 continued to experience higher-than-normal wait times for security from a combination of spring break travel and a shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.

Travelers on morning flights at Phoenix Sky Harbor waited as long as 24 minutes to get through checkpoint A in Terminal 4, though waits went down to 15 minutes by 8 a.m., according to live wait times on the airport’s website, skyharbor.com.

While not as long as the hours-long waits reported at airports in Houston and New Orleans, it’s unusual for Sky Harbor to experience security lines longer than 20 minutes.

Just after 8 a.m., security waits on Tuesday ranged from nine to 16 minutes. Travelers should be aware that security wait times could be low one moment and high the next, as they vary based on flight schedules and other factors, according to Sky Harbor spokesman Jon Brodsky said.

Anyone who plans to fly should build in enough flexibility in their plans to handle unusually long waits; this is why airport staff recommends arriving at the airport two hours before a flight.

Why are lines long at the Phoenix airport?

The long security lines nationwide and in Phoenix emerged as airports are packed with spring break travelers, but there’s not enough Transportation Security Administration officers at security checkpoints to process passengers.

TSA staffing has been strained since the Department of Homeland Security, which includes TSA, was shut down on Feb. 14 because of an impasse over immigration enforcement funding.

TSA officers are considered essential workers and continue reporting to work during the shutdown, but are working without pay; because of this, some officers don’t report to work, leading to worker shortages.

The Arizona Republic contacted TSA with questions about staffing shortages in Phoenix, but the agency did not respond at the time of writing.

What should travelers know if they’re flying today?

Anyone flying out of Sky Harbor should be aware that passenger traffic will be higher than usual because of spring break and Cactus League spring training, Brodsky said. March is usually when passenger traffic peaks at the airport.

Brodsky offered these tips for passengers who are flying for spring break:

• Check your flight with your airline before leaving for the airport.
• Plan to arrive at least two hours before flights within the U.S. and three hours before international flights to allow enough time to check bags, get through security and find your gate.
• TSA Security Checkpoint wait times are available live on skyharbor.com. Brodsky said that Terminal 4 passengers can access their gate through any of the terminal’s four security checkpoints, so they could use a checkpoint that posts a shorter wait time if they choose.
• Use the 24th Street or 44th Street PHX Sky Train stations for free, easy access to the terminals.
• Reserve a spot in the security checkpoint line with PHX RESERVE, a free program available in both terminals.

Reporting by Michael Salerno, Arizona Republic

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