Travellers have been facing additional jams at airport security checkpoints as a partial government shutdown strains screener staffing. Citing severe weather, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered ground stops at Hartsfield-Jackson and Charlotte Douglas International Airport and ground delays at JFK and Newark Liberty International Airport. 3 5 Storm clouds near the U.S. Capitol amid a severe weather forecast for the Mid-Atlantic region in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 16, 2026. The storms unfolded just as airport security screeners missed their first full paycheck over the weekend. The current partial government shutdown affects only the Department of Homeland Security, which includes the Transportation Security Administration.

Source: The Telegraph March 17, 2026 21:22 UTC