The TSA checkpoint at Muhammad Ali Louisville International Airport is active on Nov. 5, 2025.

Travelers should brace for longer wait times as staffing shortages are expected to cause flight cancelations at some major airports across the country.

Amid the ongoing government shutdown, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that there would be a 10% reduction in flights at 40 airports beginning on Nov. 7.

Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Bryan Bedford told airlines the cuts would begin at 4% on Nov. 7, then rise by 1% each day before hitting 10% next week.

"I think it's going to lead to more cancellations, but we are going to work with the airlines to do this in a systematic way," Duffy said at a Nov. 5 news conference.

If you have a trip planned in the coming days, it's best to brace for possible longer wait times at the airport. Here's how to check before you go.

How to check airport TSA wait times

There are several ways to check the real-time waiting period at security checkpoints and border crossings.

For security checkpoints, the Transportation Security Administration operates the MyTSA mobile app, which provides live wait times at airports around the country.

Similarly, for those going in or out of the country, Customs and Border Protection updates the Border Wait Time website with estimated delays at various points along the Mexico and Canada borders. For international flights, CBP has an Airport Wait Time website.

While banners on the TSA and CBP websites caution that they may not be updated during the shutdown, all of the wait time pages are still active as of Nov. 6.

In the event that they become inactive, be sure to check with your local airport or airline for more information. The website Airport Insight also has a live wait time tracker.

How to check flight delays, cancellations

To check on overall delays, the Flight Aware website tracks arrival and departure times at U.S.

Travelers can also check if their flight is delayed directly on the airline website using the flight number.

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.

Contributing: N'dea Yancey-Bragg, Kathryn Palmer, Kathleen Wong and Zach Wichter

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Here's how to check airport wait times amid shutdown reductions

Reporting by Melina Khan, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect