Air Transport World: TSA concedes growth of airport screening lanes is unsustainable

Air Transport World: TSA concedes growth of airport screening lanes is unsustainable

The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) acknowledged it is running out of space at airport checkpoints. Since its inception in 2002, TSA has deployed more than 6,500 pieces of screening technology equipment at US airports, including about 800 body-scanning machines. But TSA GM-passenger screening program Domenic Bianchini, speaking at the Airports Council International-North America/World Conference and Exhibition in Calgary, said the pace of growth of airport checkpoints must be curtailed.​

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Passenger screening lanes at US airports are increasing at a rate of about 4.5%-5% annually, he noted. The growth in checkpoint lanes comes even as US passenger traffic has stagnated. “We just can’t keep expanding the checkpoint lanes,” Bianchini said. “There just isn’t the space available at airports … We understand that real estate is limited.”​

 

If only there were a screening device that processed each passenger in two seconds versus eight or more. If only.

Of course the TSA is only exacerbating the problem by setting aside lanes for PreCheck.

 

Aw, what about that great huge tunnel we were all going to have to walk through? Too bad, it sounded like so much fun.