Long lines at Austin airport; officials expect record-breaking volume of people

Long lines continue at Austin airport

FOX 7 Austin's Jessica Rivera says there are a number of reasons for the long lines at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

AUSTIN, Texas - Travelers at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport were once again seen waiting in long lines for security and check-in.

What they're saying:

ABIA posted on social media that it's expecting a record-breaking volume of people, an estimated 38,000, to fly out today.

Videos showed the long lines at around 4:30 a.m. but as the morning has gone on, the lines were still long, but were not seen out the door.

The backstory:

Long TSA lines at Austin airport

Thousands of travelers at the Austin airport found themselves in a security nightmare Friday morning. Lines wrapped out the door and onto the sidewalks as the start of SXSW clashed with critical staffing shortages at TSA.

It was a similar scene on Friday, March 13, when passenger lines also extended outside the terminal.

Many are not only traveling for SXSW but also spring break, Rodeo Austin and St. Patrick's Day activities.

This year, the annual hustle and bustle of Austin’s festival season is even more stressful for airport workers, as it coincides with a partial government shutdown.

Congress remains deadlocked over funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Transportation Security Administration. The TSA is among more than 100,000 federal employees working without pay. 

Dig deeper:

The CEOs of major U.S. airlines urged Congress recently to make a deal to ensure that TSA workers and other federal air travel employees will continue getting paid when the government shuts down.

The CEOs of Alaska Air, American Airlines, Atlas, Delta, FedEx, JetBlue, Southwest, United, UPS and Airlines for America wrote an open letter to Congress. 

What you can do:

Airport officials are advising passengers to arrive two and a half hours early for domestic flights and three hours early for international travel.

Officials say passengers should expect lines for TSA, airline ticket counters and more.

Make note of the checkpoints that you can use.

Check your flight status before you head to the airport.

Full details can be found on the ABIA website here.