Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport has returned to normal after Transportation Security Administration workers calling out during the partial government shutdown collided with spring break travel last week, causing hourslong lines and travel disruptions.
If you’re headed to the airport Wednesday, here’s what you need to know.
What’s the wait time? The checkpoint lines are moving “very well,” said Jonathan Dean, a spokesperson for the airport. Travelers are reporting wait times of less than 10 minutes to around 25 minutes on social media.
Airport officials once again recommend people arrive two hours ahead of their flight.
Which checkpoints are open? Checkpoints A, B, C and D/E are open, including most lines for TSA PreCheck and Clear.
Spring break travel
Several school districts in Central Maryland — including Baltimore City, Anne Arundel County and Howard County — began spring break last week. More than 30,000 travelers were expected to fly from BWI on Friday and Saturday, some of the highest passenger counts of the year.
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The travel surge came as thousands of TSA workers were going without pay during the partial government shutdown. Several security checkpoints at BWI were closed due to TSA staffing issues last week, and wait times for screening stretched to nearly four hours on some days.
TSA workers began receiving back pay Monday after President Donald Trump signed an executive order following a congressional impasse on Department of Homeland Security funding.
More than 500 workers quit during the shutdown, and thousands called out of work each day. Over 38% of TSA workers at BWI called out on Sunday, the highest rate in the U.S., according to figures provided by Homeland Security.
The callout rate at BWI dropped significantly to 20.7% on Monday and 10.5% on Tuesday, according to DHS. Security Checkpoint A, which had been closed for weeks, reopened.
Callouts nationwide have dropped by more than 40% since Trump’s executive order, according to DHS.
So far this week, operations at BWI have returned to normal, and wait times at security checkpoints have been just a few minutes. An early estimate for Thursday indicates more than 27,000 passengers are expected to fly from BWI, Dean said.





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