Houston, Dallas & Atlanta airports are in shambles, but Newark? Avg wait times @20 mins. Maybe the TSA debacle story is as manufactured as the Iran war? GOP had a deal done w Dems to pay TSA but Trump... ⏱️ 20m, 20m
Last updated: Mar 24, 2026 09:15 AM ET — 5 reports across 3 days
Wait times at EWR have improved significantly since the beginning of the week. As of Tuesday morning (Tue Mar 24, 10:10 AM), average wait times were around 20 minutes across the airport. This represents a major improvement from the severe congestion reported just days earlier.
Earlier in the week, conditions were much worse. A report from early Monday morning (Mon Mar 23, 3:30 AM) indicated wait times had spiked to 68 minutes at EWR. However, by Monday daytime, the situation had stabilized: Terminal C reported normal conditions with TSA PreCheck processed in 5 minutes (Mon Mar 23, 12:29 PM), and Terminal A saw PreCheck travelers cleared in 5 minutes from curb to gate (Mon Mar 23, 10:27 PM). Regular security lines appeared manageable during these daytime hours.
PreCheck continues to offer a significant advantage. Multiple reports confirm PreCheck wait times under 5 minutes, while regular security lines, though moving, take noticeably longer during peak periods.
Recommendation: Based on current conditions (Tue Mar 24), arrive 90 minutes before departure for domestic flights if using regular security, and 60 minutes if enrolled in PreCheck. However, conditions can shift—monitor real-time updates before heading to the airport, as wait times fluctuated considerably earlier this week.