Journey disruptions continued Tuesday (March 17, 2026) within the U.S. as airways labored to recuperate from a strong storm system that had already snarled flight schedules a day earlier, whereas the partial authorities shutdown continued to gasoline lengthy strains at safety checkpoints.
Carriers cancelled greater than 1,100 U.S. flights on Tuesday (March 17) and delayed about 7,300 others, based on flight-tracking web site FlightAware. Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Worldwide Airport had over 230 flights cancelled and roughly 770 delayed.
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The disruptions comply with a chaotic Monday (March 16) for air journey, triggered by highly effective storms that dumped snow by the foot within the Midwest and swept by means of the japanese half of the nation, resulting in hundreds of cancellations at main hubs, together with in New York, Chicago and Atlanta. Gusts approached 50 mph (80 kph) in elements of New York, the Nationwide Climate Service stated.
Kelly Worth, who was making an attempt to get house to Colorado after a household trip in Orlando, Florida, stated her Sunday (March 15) evening flight wasn’t canceled till early Monday.
“By that point, the one place for us to sleep was the airport ground. So we’re all drained and pissed off,” she stated, including that the soonest flight she and her household might e book does not depart till Tuesday (March 17) afternoon.
Storms come whereas TSA staff don’t get paid Air journey was already below strain earlier than the storms. A partial authorities shutdown that started Feb. 14 has thinned staffing at some safety checkpoints, at occasions resulting in longer strains. And airports are crowded with spring break vacationers and followers heading to March Insanity, the annual NCAA males’s and girls’s school basketball tournaments.
On Monday (March 16) alone, greater than 4,800 U.S. flights have been cancelled. Delays topped 12,800. They included about 600 cancelled flights at Chicago O’Hare Worldwide Airport, greater than 500 at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson and roughly 450 at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, based on FlightAware. The Federal Aviation Administration additionally issued floor stops and delays at a number of main airports as situations worsened.
The storms additionally unfolded simply as airport safety screeners missed their first full paycheck over the weekend. The continued shutdown impacts solely the Division of Homeland Safety, which incorporates the Transportation Safety Administration.
Democrats in Congress have stated Homeland Safety will not get funded till new restrictions are positioned on federal immigration operations following the deadly shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis earlier this 12 months.
It’s the third shutdown in lower than a 12 months to depart TSA staff quickly with out pay. As soon as the federal government reopens, staff must look forward to again pay.
Lengthy strains at safety checkpoints Some airports have reported longer safety strains resulting from staffing shortages as extra TSA staff tackle second jobs, cannot afford fuel to get to work or depart the career altogether. Homeland Safety has stated greater than 300 TSA brokers have stop for the reason that shutdown started.
A shutdown-induced staffing scarcity prompted TSA to quickly shut a number of safety checkpoints at Philadelphia’s airport beginning Wednesday. Employees will information vacationers to alternate checkpoints, the airport stated in a put up on the social platform X. It advisable that passengers arrive 2.5 hours early for home flights and three.5 hours early for worldwide flights.
TSA did not instantly reply to a question in regards to the cause for the closures, however Heather Redfern, a spokesperson for town’s aviation division, stated the staffing constraints have been the trigger. TSA closed some Philadelphia checkpoints throughout a earlier authorities shutdown final 12 months.
Smaller airports may have to shut if the speed of TSA staff not reporting to work continues to rise, Adam Stahl, the company’s performing deputy administrator, stated on the TV program “Fox & Associates.” In Atlanta, Mel Stewart and his spouse arrived 4 hours sooner than typical on Monday for his or her flight out of Hartsfield-Jackson to make up for longer TSA strains.
“I feel it is being politicized manner an excessive amount of — manner an excessive amount of,” Ms. Stewart stated of the shutdown. “And these individuals are working. They work laborious, and for TSA individuals to not receives a commission, that is foolish.” Exterior the Atlanta airport, TSA union leaders held a information convention Monday, warning that air travellers might face more and more lengthy wait occasions because the shutdown continues. Supporters held indicators studying, “We would like a paycheck, not a rain verify.” Many TSA staff “are dealing with eviction notices, car repossessions, empty fridges and overdrawn financial institution accounts,” stated Aaron Barker, a neighborhood chief with the American Federation of Authorities Workers. Even so, he stated, many officers proceed reporting to work regardless of mounting monetary pressure.
Revealed – March 18, 2026 10:33 am IST