The Department of Homeland Security is sick of long TSA lines, too

Department of Homeland Security confronts TSA about lines.

(Image credit: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images))

published 13 May 2016

Uncle Sam feels your pain, frequent flyers.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security — in an acknowledgement that long waits in airport security lines are a drag for travelers — hopes to make the whole exercise a little less painful this summer by increasing the use of overtime work and expediting the process of hiring more screening officers, Homeland Security Director Jeh Johnson announced Friday. The TSA plans to speed up the hiring of 768 new transportation security officers to have in place as soon as mid-June, ahead of the summer travel rush.

Even with these changes, though, Johnson warns that lines still not might be all that fast. "We encourage people to have the appropriate expectations when they arrive at airports," Johnson said, explaining that while the government "wants to keep passengers moving" they also want to keep everyone safe. So... take a deep breath. You're still going to be waiting in line at the airport.