Global Entry to Reopen Wednesday Morning Amid Ongoing Government Shutdown

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will reopen Global Entry on Wednesday morning, weeks after closing the program due to the ongoing partial government shutdown.

Global Entry was originally closed on Feb. 22, about a week after the partial shutdown began, to redeploy personnel elsewhere within airports. While the closure was initially paired with a similar shutdown of PreCheck, DHS quickly reversed that decision.

The reopening, officially slated for 5 a.m. EST on Wednesday, brings a measure of relief to travelers worried that the stalemate would impact their plans. Those worries proved well-founded over the past few weeks; while the shutdown has not impacted air traffic controllers, it is starting to affect TSA wait times nationwide. As the shutdown continues and TSA officers work without pay, absenteeism is rising. Consequently, wait times at some airports, such as William P. Hobby (HOU) in Houston and Louis Armstrong New Orleans International (MSY), are hitting three-plus hours.

Travel groups have consistently lobbied against government shutdowns and their impacts on the travel ecosystem, particularly ahead of busy periods like spring break. The U.S. Travel Association is currently pushing Congress to pass funding for the TSA under the Keep America Flying Act.

“With spring break travel around the corner, travelers and the U.S. economy cannot afford to have essential TSA personnel working without pay. Funding lapses increase the risk of unscheduled absences and callouts, which can result in longer wait times, missed connections, and delayed flights,” the association stated.