Travellers wait to check in for their flights at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey, on March 18, 2026. US airport security officers missed their first full paycheck on March 13 as a partial funding shutdown of the government approached the one-month mark, with no breakthrough in a congressional standoff that is beginning to disrupt travel across the country. The lapse in funding is forcing thousands of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) staff to work without pay as spring travel picks up, raising fears of staffing shortages, longer security lines and flight delays. (Photo by kena betancur / AFP via Getty Images)

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Peter Aitken

By Peter Aitken

Politics Weekend Editor

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The U.S. has warned that some small airports could soon pause operations as 50,000 security officers continue to go without pay amid the ongoing partial government shutdown.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told CNBC on Thursday that if the shutdown continues into next week, the government may have to shut some airports as Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers would have to miss another paycheck.

"You're going to see small airports, I believe, shut ​down," he said. "You're going to see extensive lines."

Read More on U.S.

There are 74 "small" hubs, according to the NPIAS 2025–2029 report published by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the FAA.

The ARP‑NPIAS refers to the FAA Office of Airports’ National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems, the federal five‑year blueprint that classifies airports and guides eligibility for airport infrastructure funding.

According to the ARP‑NPIAS 2025-2029 report, there are 74 small hubs, 252 nonhub airports currently classified as smaller than "small hubs" by the FAA, and 2,540 General aviation airports, which are considered smaller than "small hubs" by the FAA and include activities like private flying, flight training, medical flights, firefighting, military support, and business jets.

It's unclear if Duffy was talking about shutting down "small hubs" or nonhubs and general aviation airports as well.

Why It Matters

The nearly five-week partial shutdown stems from a congressional standoff over DHS funding and immigration enforcement policy. Democrats have pushed for changes to immigration enforcement following the deaths of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis.

A DHS spokesperson told Newsweek on Wednesday the shutdown was leaving some TSA officers struggling to cover basic expenses, including food and commuting costs, which had contributed to elevated rates of call-out (unscheduled absences by frontline officers) and staffing shortages.

Travelers wait to check in for their flights at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey, on March 18, 2026.

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What To Know

DHS said that more than 300 TSA agents had resigned so far, as many had not been paid since the shutdown started. The agency said that on March 15 and 16, call-outs rose by more than 50 percent in Houston, and more than 30 percent in New Orleans and Atlanta, leaving fewer officers to screen a growing number of travelers.

The White House released a letter on Tuesday outlining proposed changes to the DHS as part of ongoing efforts to strike a deal with Democrats and end the shutdown. The measures included expanding bodycam footage for federal agents, requiring clear identification, limiting immigration enforcement at sensitive locations such as schools and hospitals, and increasing oversight of detention facilities.

The FAA classifies large hub airports as those accounting for 1 percent or more of annual U.S. passenger boardings. Under the agency’s current appendix, there are 31 large hubs nationwide.

There are also 32 medium hubs, each accounting for between 0.25 percent and 1 percent of annual passenger boardings. These include airports such as Portland International, Memphis International, and airports in Puerto Rico and Guam.

Despite the far smaller traffic volume, small hub airports are still considered primary airports, meaning they have more than 10,000 passenger boardings a year.

Here are the 74 airports currently classified as small hubs by the ARP‑NPIAS 2025-2029 report:

Small Hub Airports by State (FY25)

Correction 05/12/26 1:47 p.m. ET: This article was updated to correctly reflect the number of small, nonhub and general aviation airports at risk of shutdown.

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