It's enough to make a person want to reschedule -- delays in getting through the TSA security line at Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport are taking up to 3 hours Monday, and even at Hobby Airport the wait is up to an hour and possibly more.
The turmoil is all about the staffing shortages being reported by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Houston Airport System, which Sunday evening confirms the excessively long wait times at Houston's two big airports.
To make matters worse, there are delays nationwide for similar reasons, and then there's the domino-like effect of extraordinary delays reported at Newark Airport in the New York City area, which one airport manager said is "rippling across the nation," delaying flights and throwing a large number of flights off schedule.
Of course, the FAA is asking you show up two or more hours early for your flight, but a 3 hour wait likely puts that advice out of date.
At Bush, the only TSA checkpoints are at Terminals A and E, until further notice, the Houston Airport System also said Sunday evening.
"United Airline is advising passengers to check their luggage at Terminal C and then proceed to Terminal E by walking or taking the subway for security screening," the Houston agency added.
"The federal government shutdown has impacted TSA staffing and operations nationwide, AND Houston Airports is doing everything possible to support our TSA partners and keep passengers moving safely and efficiently."
There were also big delays at Austin Bergstrom Airport for much of Sunday, after some planes were halted from takeoffs or landings between 10 am and 1 pm, after which it took hours to recover.