U.s. Airports Advise Travelers To Avoid Arriving Too Early Amid Increased Security Delays

Published on March 28, 2026

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Columbus, Ohio – If you’ve ever rushed to nan airport, worrying astir missing your flight, you mightiness beryllium portion of a increasing trend. Airports crossed nan U.S. are now advising travelers to extremity showing up hours earlier their flights, contempt nan ongoing information delays that person made this an almost instinctive wont for many.

Overcrowding has go a important problem, particularly astatine awesome hubs, wherever staffing shortages person resulted successful agelong hold times astatine information checkpoints. In immoderate cases, passengers person been waiting for complete 2 hours to clear security. This has made nan business worse arsenic much and much travelers get excessively early, clogging nan strategy and contributing to nan delays they’re trying to avoid.

Why It Matters: The ‘Airport Dad’ Phenomenon

You’ve astir apt heard of nan “Airport Dad” trope nan anxious traveler who insists connected arriving astatine nan airdrome hours earlier their flight, conscionable to beryllium safe. Well, this has go a very existent rumor astatine galore U.S. airports. The worry astir missing flights, fueled by scary stories and reports of agelong lines, has led galore to get excessively early.

Unfortunately, this has only compounded nan problem. By arriving excessively soon, passengers are efficaciously crowding nan terminals and clogging up nan information lines erstwhile they first open, causing a ripple effect that delays everyone. Airport officials are now moving difficult to reside this by advising travelers to instrumentality to much reasonable presence times.

Airports Struggling to Manage Early Arrivals

John Glenn International Airport successful Columbus, Ohio, is 1 airdrome starring nan complaint connected this issue. On March 28, 2026, nan airdrome shared a connection connected societal media urging passengers to get nary much than 90 minutes earlier their flight. They’ve moreover created a adjuvant floor plan to guideline travelers connected nan champion times to show up, informing that arriving excessively early tin create unnecessary congestion.

This proposal comes successful nan aftermath of accrued recreation request and nan airport’s ongoing efforts to streamline nan check-in and information process. John Glenn International, for illustration galore others, has been moving pinch information unit to equilibrium nan increasing number of passengers pinch nan disposable resources to support nan travel moving smoothly.

The Effect of Staffing Shortages connected Security Delays

The ongoing staffing shortages astatine U.S. airports person been a awesome contributor to nan delays. Many information positions stay unfilled, particularly successful nan aftermath of nan COVID-19 pandemic. The shortage of unit has made it challenging to support nan lines moving efficiently, resulting successful longer hold times for passengers.

Reports from awesome airports for illustration George Bush Intercontinental successful Houston show that passengers are regularly facing hold times of complete 2 hours during highest hours. As much group travel, airdrome unit are struggling to meet nan demand, and nan backlog continues to origin delays. While efforts are being made to prosecute much information personnel, nan backlog remains an rumor for some passengers and airdrome officials.

Solutions and Recommendations for Travelers

To thief mitigate these delays, airports crossed nan state are adjusting their presence clip recommendations. John Glenn International’s proposal to get 90 minutes earlier departure is conscionable 1 example. Many different airports are now suggesting passengers show up nary much than 2 hours earlier their formation to thief debar overcrowding.

Additionally, travelers are being encouraged to usage TSA PreCheck aliases different expedited information programs if they are eligible. These programs let passengers to bypass nan modular information line, cutting down connected hold times and making nan process smoother. While these measures won’t wholly destruct delays, they will thief trim congestion and make for a much businesslike airdrome experience.

What’s Next: Managing Passenger Flow During Peak Times

With summertime recreation conscionable astir nan corner, airports are bracing for moreover much passengers. To negociate nan anticipated summation successful recreation volume, airports will proceed to show rider presence patterns and set their guidance arsenic necessary. This includes experimenting pinch different presence clip recommendations and expanding staffing to amended information checkpoint efficiency.

As rider numbers proceed to grow, airports are besides looking into ways to make nan full recreation process smoother. Expanding staffing, improving information technology, and introducing amended systems for managing highest times are each connected nan array arsenic airdrome officials activity to reside these ongoing challenges.

In nan meantime, travelers are encouraged to enactment flexible. If possible, effort to book flights during off-peak hours early greeting aliases precocious evening flights often person little crowded terminals and shorter hold times. It’s besides a bully thought to get nary much than 90 minutes earlier your home flight, arsenic suggested by John Glenn International and different airports, to thief trim accent and debar adding to nan congestion.