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Sky Harbor: Terminal 4 security checkpoints closed

By
Published  March 20, 2026 9:36am MST
Travel News
FOX 10 Phoenix
article

The Brief

    • Two of the four checkpoints at Sky Harbor Airport's Terminal 4 are closed, according to airport officials.
    • Airports across the U.S. have been experiencing disruptions amid the ongoing shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.
    • Sky Harbor officials say travelers should arrive at the airport early.

PHOENIX - Officials with Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport said on the morning of March 20 that two security checkpoints at Terminal 4 are closed.

What we know:

Per a social media post, airport officials say Checkpoints B and D at Terminal 4 are closed. According to the airport's interactive map, Checkpoints B and D are located on opposite sides of Terminal 4.

Airport officials say Checkpoints A and C remain open.

Dig deeper:

On March 19, the Associated Press reported that wait times at airport security checkpoints have become a guessing game amid the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. 

The article talked about conditions at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, where there were hours-long waits on the morning of March 19 before wait times dwindled to less than 10 minutes later in the day.

The article states that according to experts, it's hard to predict where the lines will be the longest at any given time because much of the problem stems from TSA personnel not showing up for their shifts. The roughly 50,000 federal workers who screen passengers and bags have been working without pay while lawmakers fail to agree on funding DHS.

The backstory:

Per the AP, lawmakers have been unable to agree on a deal to fund DHS, with Democrats refusing to fund certain agencies within the department, saying there must be accountability after the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis.

House Democrats have been signing a petition that would force the house to take up a bill to fund TSA and other DHS agencies, but at the same time not fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and the office of the secretary. Republicans, however, said that Homeland Security needs to be fully operational during a heightened level of security, and that Democrats can’t fund it using a piecemeal approach.

What you can do:

In their post announcing the checkpoint closures, Sky Harbor officials say travelers should arrive at the airport at least two hours before a domestic flight in order to leave plenty of time to check backs, get through security, and find the gate.

For international travelers, airport officials say they should arrive at least three hours early.

The Source: Information for this article was gathered from a statement released by Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, with supplemental information gathered from the Associated Press.

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