Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport has issued an alert the public about possible long lines to get through security.

Officials say today is expected to be particularly impacted due many attendees at a big conference leaving town.

"Following Transportation Security Administration (TSA) statement regarding the potential impact of the sequestration on screening wait times for air travel.   The Airport... encourages all travelers to arrive two (2) hours prior to their scheduled departure time," Spokeswoman Michelle Wilcut said in a news release.
 
Here is the statement from the TSA:
 
"As sequestration takes effect, travelers can expect to see lines and wait times increase as reductions to overtime and the inability to backfill positions for attrition begin to occur this month. While wait times can vary on a number of factors, due to the reductions mandated by sequestration, TSA will put in place a hiring freeze, which will result in up to an additional 1,000 TSO vacancies by Memorial Day Weekend and up to 2,600 vacancies by the end of the fiscal year. With TSA staffing levels decreasing over time, we expect that during busy travel periods wait times exceeding 30-40 minutes could double at nearly all of the largest airports. In addition, passengers who schedule their travel outside of peak flight schedules and plan to arrive close to their scheduled flight time may see their wait times now reach 30 minutes or more."