Houston Airports Experience Manageable Security Wait Times Despite Shutdown
Despite ongoing staffing concerns related to the 40th day of the government shutdown and a meaningful number of flight cancellations, houston’s airports reported manageable security wait times on Sunday.
At George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), Terminal E saw estimated wait times of 40 minutes around 8 a.m., according to the Houston Airport System. Lines appeared even shorter shortly after, and by 9 a.m., wait times at William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) were approximately 10 minutes.
As of 9 a.m., FlightAware reported 39 flight cancellations at IAH and 14 at HOU. Airport officials cautioned that wait times could increase later in the day,possibly reaching 60-75 minutes at IAH and 30-45 minutes at HOU. However, by 1:40 p.m., wait times at IAH’s Terminal E had increased to an estimated one hour, while Terminal A reported a 16-minute wait. Hobby Airport maintained wait times under 10 minutes.
karine Hall, a traveler with a layover in Houston en route from Utah to Mexico, noted the relatively smooth experience. Her flight departed at 10 a.m.and she had switched terminals due to reduced checkpoint availability, but otherwise her plans were unaffected. “Today is really slow compared to what I was expecting,” Hall said. “It’s really not that many people.”
Eileen Ramirez dropped off her parents at Terminal E over four hours before their 12:10 p.m.flight to Guanajuato, Mexico. Her mother was a first-time flyer, and Ramirez was concerned after seeing images of long security lines at IAH on social media the previous weekend. However, she expressed relief upon arriving at the airport. “I feel a little relieved… that everything is a little more managed here, and everything’s going as smooth as it can be,” Ramirez stated.
