Travelers flying from Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport waited in security lines that stretched outside in the early hours of Friday morning. Many followed guidance to arrive at least three hours ahead of their flight, but still faced massive lines.

Airports nationwide are facing disruptions due to a partial government shutdown. More than 500 Transportation Security Administration workers quit, and thousands are calling out as they miss paychecks, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Senators early Friday approved Homeland Security funds that would pay TSA agents, but the deal does not include immigration enforcement operations at the heart of the budget impasse. The House is expected to consider the proposal Friday.

Spring break and long lines

More than 30,000 passengers departed from BWI on both Thursday and Friday, said Jonathan Dean, a spokesperson for BWI. It’s the highest number of departing passengers so far this year, Dean said.

TSA security points B and C were “very busy” Friday morning, Dean said, but wait times will likely fluctuate throughout the day.

Passengers arrived as early as 3 a.m. for morning flights, waiting for almost two hours to make it through security. At 6:30 a.m., one security line snaked out the doors, down the sidewalk to where departure drop-offs begin before doubling back several hundred feet to Southwest Airlines’ check-in counter.

A man in a Southwest-branded polo passed out Oreo cookies and graham crackers from a rolling cart.

“Snacks from our flight that nobody’s ever going to get on,” a woman remarked to a companion with a laugh.

Ryan McGehee, who arrived at the airport around 5:40 a.m., had to reschedule his flight twice as he waited at the end of the sidewalk. He waited in line for about two hours and 25 minutes, eventually settling on a 10:35 a.m. flight.

He criticized the government shutdown and the impact it’s had on TSA workers.

“TSA employees have been showing up to work, unpaid, to try and keep the airports running on time,” he said in a text message.

On Thursday, BWI saw similar long lines in the morning. Airport officials warned on social media that long lines were expected throughout the weekend as people travel for spring break.

“Expect long lines each morning through the weekend. Checkpoint delays are possible at any time,” the message reads.

Nina and Bryant Duncan were on the way to Jamaica Friday morning to celebrate a 40th birthday and their 10th wedding anniversary. Confused about varying wait time reports they saw online, they erred on the safe side and arrived at the airport more than three hours before their flight.

It was the right call. The security line was already far out the door and TSA PreCheck was closed.

“I’m calm. He’s freaking out,” Nina Duncan said.

Over the following hours, Bryant Duncan repeatedly checked his phone for updates from traveling companions who had arrived about 30 minutes earlier.

“I’m trying to put myself at ease,” he said. “But I’m looking at lines and nerves are shooting back up.”

He peered down a hallway. The line stretched out of sight.

“That’s crazy,” he said.

Banner reporter Emily Opilo contributed to this report.