Passengers stroll by way of the doorway of a TSA PreCheck in Terminal One at O’Hare Worldwide Airport Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune/Tribune Information Service by way of Getty Photos)
Armando L. Sanchez | Chicago Tribune | Getty Photos
The Transportation Safety Administration stated on Sunday that its PreCheck airport screening lanes are operational, hours after the Division of Homeland Safety stated the sooner safety checkpoint companies could be paused amid the partial authorities shutdown.
“Presently, TSA PreCheck stays operational with no change for the touring public,” TSA officers stated in a press release. “As staffing constraints come up, TSA will consider on a case by case foundation and alter operations accordingly. Courtesy escorts, comparable to these for Members of Congress, have been suspended to permit officers to deal with the mission of securing America’s skies.”
The pause within the TSA PreCheck and World Entry packages was initially scheduled to take impact at 6 a.m. ET on Sunday, DHS stated.
The transfer comes because the U.S. Northeast braces for a large winter storm that might disrupt airline flights for days.
“TSA and CBP are prioritizing the overall touring inhabitants at our airports and ports of entry and suspending courtesy and particular privilege escorts,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem stated in a press release.
TSA PreCheck has greater than 20 million lively members, in line with an company rely in 2024.
“PreCheck members accounted for 34 % of passengers screened at airport checkpoints,” The New York Occasions reported in August 2025, citing a TSA spokesman. This system is on the market at greater than 200 U.S. airports, the newspaper famous.
The pause in TSA PreCheck and World Entry safety packages is a results of the partial authorities shutdown that started on Feb. 14, following congressional lawmakers’ failure to succeed in a deal to fund DHS.
Airways have canceled greater than 6,000 flights by way of Monday and waived cancellation and alter charges for airports spanning Virginia to Maine forward of the East Coast blizzard.
Journey trade members sharply criticized the transfer, which comes simply months after final yr’s federal authorities shutdown affected air journey and dented bookings, in line with executives.
“A4A is deeply involved that TSA PreCheck and World Entry packages are being suspended and that the touring public can be, as soon as once more, used as a political soccer amid one other authorities shutdown,” stated Airways for America CEO Chris Sununu. The group represents American Airways, Delta Air Traces, Southwest Airways, United Airways and different main carriers.
“The announcement was issued with extraordinarily quick discover to vacationers, giving them little time to plan accordingly, which is very troubling right now of document air journey,” he added.
The federal government shutdown within the fall, the longest ever, price the journey trade and different sectors $6.1 billion, the group stated. These disruptions affected about 6 million vacationers.
The U.S. Journey Affiliation, which represents main lodge chains and lots of different companies within the trade, referred to as DHS’s transfer “extraordinarily disappointing.”
“We’re disgusted that during the last 90 days, Democrats and Republicans have used air visitors controllers, TSA, CBP and the whole journey expertise as a way to realize political ends,” it stated in a press release.
This story is creating. Please refresh for updates.
