Columbus Airport Advises Arriving 90 Minutes Before Domestic Flights

Arriving too early in the morning makes TSA lines worse, airport officials say

Mar. 27, 2026 at 10:05am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The Columbus Airport Authority is advising passengers to arrive at the airport 90 minutes before their domestic flight departure, rather than showing up as soon as TSA opens in the morning. The airport says arriving too early leads to longer TSA lines, as it causes arrivals to be bunched up instead of spaced out.

Why it matters

TSA lines at major airports across the country have grown significantly longer due to the ongoing partial government shutdown, with many TSA agents quitting or taking other jobs. However, the Columbus airport has largely avoided the pandemonium seen at larger hubs, which the airport authority attributes to its loyal TSA staff.

The details

According to the airport authority, the longest estimated TSA wait time at the Columbus airport on March 26 was 35 minutes from 6-7am, with the rest of the day seeing wait times under 20 minutes. The airport advises passengers with 7am domestic flights to arrive at 5:30am, rather than showing up at 4am when TSA opens, as the earlier arrival time helps keep the line moving.

  • On March 26, the longest estimated TSA wait time was 35 minutes from 6-7am.

The players

Columbus Airport Authority

The organization that manages and operates the John Glenn Columbus International Airport.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

The takeaway

By advising passengers to arrive 90 minutes before their domestic flights instead of as soon as TSA opens, the Columbus airport is helping to keep security lines moving efficiently and avoid the long waits seen at other major airports during the ongoing government shutdown.