PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – On Thursday morning, the Transportation Security Administration along with Pittsburgh International Airport announced changes for early morning travelers that will go into effect next month.
As the airport has seen a surge of passengers at PIT in the early morning hours, the number of passengers has also exceeded the capacity of security checkpoints, specifically between 4 and 7 a.m., on Monday through Friday.
TSA said this is due to additional flights that have been added to meet travelers’ demands.
Now, TSA is recommending those who have booked early morning flights get to the airport at least 2-3 hours before their flights.
PreCheck lane changes
In order to meet the demand, TSA has announced that beginning on July 8, between the hours of 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. on weekdays, the alternate security checkpoint will be for travelers enrolled in TSA PreCheck. PreCheck lanes at the main checkpoint will also not be open during those hours.
They said that this move would expedite the screening process while maximizing space and minimizing wait times at both checkpoints.
This comes just days after PIT issued a travel alert due to long security lines.
“We are aware that this busy summer travel season has resulted in longer TSA security lines than usual across the country. We are working with TSA to streamline the security process as much as possible at PIT,” a spokesperson for the airport said in a statement.
Signs will be posted inside the terminal informing travelers of the change and TSA PreCheck passengers will be redirected to the alternate checkpoint.
CLEAR passengers still will have to go to the main checkpoint.
Record passenger volume
TSA said they have seen travel volume increase “tremendously” in the past several months.
This past Saturday, TSA screened nearly 3 million travelers nationwide, a record for most people screened in a single day in the 22-year history of TSA. The 10 busiest days in TSA history have happened since May of this year.
They’re expecting to screen more than 30 million passengers from June 27 through Monday, July 8 which would be a more than 5-percent increase over 2023 Independence Day.
Barbara Terrio is a seasoned business journalist, delving into the world of finance, startups, and entrepreneurship. With a knack for demystifying complex economic trends, she helps readers navigate the business landscape. Outside of her reporting, Barbara is an advocate for financial literacy and enjoys mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs.
