The Atlanta airport expects a record number of travelers at security checkpoints over Memorial Day weekend, with the busiest days forecast to be this Thursday and Friday.
On those days, the Transportation Security Administration expects the number of travelers at Hartsfield-Jackson International checkpoints may top the record 85,470 seen on March 31.
The airport aims to keep wait times under 20 minutes, but the TSA’s Atlanta federal security director, Mary Leftridge Byrd, said “travel delays may occur” during the holiday stretch.
TSA officials say travelers should get to the airport two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights.
Though summer is still weeks away on the calendar, the Memorial Day holiday and the end of school in many areas signals the start of the vacation travel season.
After security wait times reached more than an hour and snaked through the terminal last spring, TSA has increased staffing, opened checkpoints earlier and added canine units to keep lines shorter.
Hartsfield-Jackson has expanded the main security checkpoint queuing area to reduce the chances of lines backup up through the terminal.
The airport also now has 22 automated security lanes, aimed at speeding screening. All domestic terminal checkpoints have automated lanes, which make up 22 of 28 security lanes in the domestic terminal.
“While they are still relatively new, the smart lanes have shown positive results,” speeding the process by as much as 30 percent, according to Hartsfield-Jackson general manager Roosevelt Council.
But Council also acknowledged there is a learning curve for travelers.
The new procedure calls for travelers to approach any available spot to fill a bin instead of waiting for the person in front of them. They then pull a bin from underneath, fill it and push it onto an adjacent conveyor that automatically moves the bin forward.
The idea is to prevent logjams behind slower travelers.
But the process can be confusing at first, as was apparent during a demonstration on Tuesday, when passengers were left unclear on when and how to push bins onto the conveyor. Some bins went askew, while other passengers carried bins instead.
While two automated lanes have been in place at the Atlanta airport for a year, most security lines had standard lanes and many people flying this summer have never experienced the new lanes.
Travelers also should allow extra time to get to the terminal due to lane closures that can lead to congestion.
The airport, which is in the early stages of a long-term, $6 billion expansion and modernization, said it will minimize construction activities during the busy Memorial Day weekend.
Council said “local, state and federal law officials will remain hyper-vigilant” with “a strong visual presence” during the holiday weekend.
In the wake of the explosion that killed at least 22 people in Manchester, England on Monday, the Department of Homeland Security said the public may see “increased security in and around public places and events as officials take additional precautions.”
TSA this month issued recommendations to airports to improve security in public areas outside security checkpoints. They include improved communication, more background checks and threat assessments of workers, response drills and exercises, and incorporating security measures into airport design.
Tips from TSA
- Avoid overpacking carry-on bags
- "Always stop, take a breath and think about what you have in your carry-on bag," said TSA's Atlanta federal security director, Mary Leftridge Byrd. Check for prohibited items such as bottled water and other prohibited liquids, and items that could be used as weapons such as knives and pepper spray.
- "Do not bring a gun to the security checkpoint," Byrd emphasized. A total of 83 guns have been caught at Atlanta airport security checkpoints this year so far, she said.
- For travelers with disabilities, medical conditions or other special circumstances, call the TSA helpline at (855) 787-2227 72 hours prior to traveling for questions or assistance during screening.
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