Checkpoint changes begin at Pittsburgh International Airport as long waits continue

A shift in how travelers are screened for security at Pittsburgh International Airport started Monday as ticketed passengers continue to be urged to arrive two to three hours in advance of early morning weekday flights.

An alternate security checkpoint now is being solely used for travelers enrolled in the Transportation Security Administration’s PreCheck program between 4 and 7 a.m. on weekdays. There will not be TSA PreCheck lines at the main security checkpoint, which has been the site of hourslong waits recently because of a surge in passenger volume, according to officials.

After 7 a.m. on weekdays, the TSA PreCheck line will reopen at the main checkpoint through 8 p.m., though travelers may be directed to the alternate checkpoint throughout the day, depending on volume.

Travelers can apply for TSA PreCheck online or in person at locations in New Kensington, Monroeville, Greentree and at the airport. The cost is about $78 and it lasts for five years.

Allegheny County Airport Authority spokesman Jonathan Potts said officials are still analyzing how much the change helped.

About 2,600 people moved through airport checkpoints per hour from 4 to 7 a.m., Potts said.

“We had staff out during those hours helping to guide passengers,” Potts said.

There was also more signage letting people know about the precheck line and estimated wait times. The checkpoint is located at the ticketing level on the third floor.

The changes were posted on the airport’s various social media sites and information was sent to other news outlets the past couple weeks to help inform passengers.

“We’re doing everything we can with our TSA partners to make this as stress free as possible,” Potts said. “We trust our TSA partners that, like us, they want to make sure that our passengers have a great experience. I think they made this change with the eye to making sure wait times are as manageable as possible.

“I think we’re going to continue to assess how things are going, and we will make improvements where we see opportunities to do so. What is good is that we are providing a lot of opportunities at Pittsburgh International Airport for people to fly across the country and across the globe. This is a very busy time. Not only a very busy time here, but TSA is seeing a record number of passengers in a lot of airports. We will continue to make improvements to give our passengers a great experience.”

A new $1.5 billion terminal is about 70% done. It will increase capacity at the airport’s security checkpoint. It is expected to be completed sometime next year.

Officials have attributed the spike in passengers to additional flights being added to the Findlay airport. Re-routing TSA PreCheck passengers will add capacity at the main checkpoint during peak times.

TSA officials have been screening a record-setting amount of passengers nationwide this summer. More than 32 million people were expected to flow through airports between June 27 and Monday. Officials said that was a 5.4% increase over the previous year’s Fourth of July traffic.