FINDLAY TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) – After weeks of long lines at the Pittsburgh International Airport security checkpoint, changes to reduce wait times have taken place and are now in effect.
Emma Swanson and her family were heading to Savannah, Georgia, on Monday when they encountered long lines.
“We thought it might be a little bit longer than we’ve seen in previous years,” Swanson said. “But this is probably the longest I’ve seen in my entire life.”
Some did everything they could to prepare and still managed to escape by the skin of their teeth.
“We arrived early,” said traveler Ryan Johnson. “But we couldn’t check our bags until 4 p.m. because Air Canada was open.”
The Transportation Security Administration announced last month that they were making changes to the process by which travelers use security screening lanes to help reduce wait times.
To accommodate higher than usual traffic at the airport, beginning Monday morning, the alternate security checkpoint will be used for TSA PreCheck travelers between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. on weekdays. The main checkpoint PreCheck lanes will not be open during these hours.
Signs will be posted inside the terminal to inform travelers of the change and TSA PreCheck passengers will be redirected to the alternate checkpoint. CLEAR passengers will still need to proceed to the main checkpoint.
The TSA recommends that those booked on early morning flights arrive at the airport at least 2 to 3 hours before their flights.
The airport announced it deployed more staff Monday morning, even installing more sensors to properly measure wait times. A spokesperson for Pittsburgh International Airport told KDKA-TV that they continue to work to make the experience as easy as possible for travelers.
“We want to continue to monitor things, see what we can improve, with our partners at TSA, and just try to make the journey as smooth as possible for our passengers,” spokesman Jonathan Potts said.
Bob Kerlik, spokesman for the Allegheny County Airport Authority, said: when the new terminal opens in 2025The security checkpoint will expand from seven to 11 lanes and will be a single consolidated checkpoint, but in the meantime, the TSA is implementing a quick fix that it hopes will reduce wait times.
Record passenger volume
The TSA said it has seen a “significant” increase in travel volume in recent months. Kerlik said here at Pittsburgh International Airport, things are very busy.
“What we’re seeing here at Pittsburgh International Airport, with record traffic, is a real national issue,” Kerlik said. “And that’s on top of the arrival of a lot of new flights across the country, but also the appetite for summer and post-COVID travel.”
Late last month, the TSA expected to screen more than 30 million passengers from June 27 through today, which would represent a more than 5% increase from Independence Day 2023.
News Source : www.cbsnews.com
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