Richmond airport sidesteps TSA delays — for now

State of play: Travelers in New Orleans and Houston faced hours-long TSA wait times at the start of the week, while Atlanta and Charlotte airports also saw significant checkpoint delays.

• Spring break vacationers and TSA agents calling out for their first full week without pay due to the partial shutdown were largely to blame.
• Richmond and our tiny but mighty airport has been immune to the long security wait time headaches so far, recent fliers and airport spokesperson Troy Bell tell Axios.

Yes, but: RIC is seeing an increase in volume due to spring break, Bell says, with nearly 200,000 spring break travelers expected this month.

• Plus, parking improvements are still underway, Bell tells Axios, which, coupled with spring break, can push the garages to capacity and redirect folks to the economy lot (and a wait for a shuttle).

What they're saying: "With that in mind, we suggest that travelers plan to be in the terminal, checked in and proceeding to the screening checkpoints at least 90 minutes prior departure," Bell says.

Be smart: Spring break usually comes in three waves: early March for the college kids, mid-March for private schools (where we are now) and then public school kids, who are out the last week of the month this year.

What's next: RIC is waiting for new parts for sensors to get its online TSA wait-time tracker back online, Bell says.