TSA airport wait times drop dramatically
Over half of travelers at US airports now receive expedited security screening as they pose no security threat Transportation Security Administration officials say.
The TSA released data showing wait times have been significantly reduced with delays of 20 minutes or longer down by 64%.
The agency credited the fall to the progress of its TSA Precheck program, which allows passengers considered low-risk to go through a fast-rack screening process at 118 US airports.
The shorter wait times come despite an extra 4.4 million people traveling by air this summer.
Moving away from a ‘one-size-fits-all’ that clearly wasn’t working, members of the military, passengers under 12 or older than 75 years are now routinely sent to special lines that don’t need shoe, belt or jacket removal or to take laptops out of cases.
The milestone was applauded by the travel industry.
"It’s great news that they’ve been able to reach that milestone and as the program continues to grow, there needs to be an effort to educate the public but I understand the TSA has been very proactive about that," said Courtney Temple, director of government operations at the Travel Association.
Precheck, launched in October 2011, is used by over five million passengers each week.
The TSA says it takes an average 10 minutes to enroll at one of the Precheck centers.
Applicants have a background check, fingerprinting and pay a $85 fee to enroll for a five-year period.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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