New Orleans, United States – Enormous crowds of travelers filled the terminal and spilled into the parking garage at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport on March 8, 2026, as long security lines formed during the start of spring break travel.

Footage recorded by X user Cherie DeVaux shows hundreds of passengers carrying luggage and wearing coats packed tightly together in lines stretching along escalators, past large windows overlooking the runways, and around pillars beneath bright fluorescent lights inside the modern terminal decorated with oak tree murals and “Elevator” signs.

The queues extended beyond the terminal corridors and down into the adjacent parking garage, where travelers formed zigzagging lines between yellow bollards and parked cars. Men, women, and children waited shoulder-to-shoulder, checking their phones or speaking with one another as they slowly moved toward the security checkpoints.

The long delays were caused by staffing shortages at the Transportation Security Administration linked to an ongoing partial U.S. government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security. Wait times reached up to three hours, prompting airport officials to advise passengers to arrive at least three hours before departure.

Similar disruptions were reported at other major airports, including those in Houston and Atlanta, leading to missed flights and widespread frustration among travelers. Officials said the situation was expected to continue through the week as increasing numbers of unpaid TSA agents called out.

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