Real-time data published by Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) on April 12, 2026 shows general-screening queues hitting 34 minutes at Terminal C—home to United’s international flights—while TSA PreCheck travelers cleared in seven minutes. Terminals A and B reported shorter but still volatile waits, ranging from three to 21 minutes depending on gate cluster. Port Authority officials attributed the spike to a confluence of spring-break returns, several wide-body departures within a tight window, and ongoing federal hiring gaps that have left TSA staffing 6 % below 2015 levels. Although lines subsided later in the afternoon, authorities urged passengers to arrive at least two hours before domestic departures and three hours before long-haul flights. The episode underscores how staffing shortfalls at key U.S. hubs ripple through global mobility programs. Missed connections can jeopardize same-day visa appointments in foreign consulates or delay time-sensitive project kick-offs. Multinational firms are advised to build larger buffers into itineraries that route through Newark and to remind employees to leverage PreCheck, CLEAR or airline-app wait-time trackers where available. Looking ahead, United Airlines says it will finish rolling live TSA-wait feeds into its mobile app for all hub airports by May, giving corporate-travel managers a new data point for duty-of-care monitoring. Meanwhile, TSA’s recruiter blitz—targeting tech-savvy “gamers” comfortable with x-ray imagery—opens on April 17 and may ease summer congestion if apprentices complete training in time.
Source: International Business Times
