Business & Finance
Analysis reveals longest and shortest airport security wait times across major hubs
Business Insider reports that JFK recorded the longest average security wait, while San Antonio had the shortest.
The short version
- An analysis of the 50 busiest domestic airports found that the average security checkpoint wait time was 9.9 minutes.[Business Insider]
- New York's JFK Airport posted the longest average wait at 23.1 minutes, while San Antonio International recorded the shortest at 3.7 minutes.[Business Insider]
- The findings arrive as the Trump administration seeks to privatize airport security by expanding the TSA's Screening Partnership Program.[Business Insider]
Key facts
- The average security line wait time across the 50 busiest US airports was 9.9 minutes.[Business Insider]
- Passengers at JFK Airport experienced the longest average security wait time at 23.1 minutes.[Business Insider]
- San Antonio International Airport had the shortest average TSA wait time at 3.7 minutes.[Business Insider]
- Travel Bulletin compiled the findings using MyTSA app estimates and public passenger-volume records covering mid-June to mid-August 2026.[Business Insider]
- The Trump administration is seeking to expand the TSA's Screening Partnership Program to privatize airport security.[Business Insider]
What remains uncertain
- The analysis relies on eight weeks of MyTSA app wait-time estimates, which may not capture all checkpoint variations or future operational changes.[Business Insider]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.
- The US airports with the longest and shortest security wait times — rankedBusiness Insider metered