Atlanta Airport Checkpoint Reopens With New Security System
So far, so good.
That’s the word from some passengers at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, which saw the first full day of operations of a new high-tech screening system at the South Checkpoint on Wednesday.
Ben Bloom, from San Diego, says he travels for business about twice a month. He rates today’s trip through the new security line as “about average.”
“But definitely not an annoyance. It kind of removes that feeling of ‘everything’s backing up behind you and you have to keep moving.’ You just kind of stay in one spot,” Bloom says.
What Bloom’s talking about is the design of the Transportation Security Administration’s new pilot security system, which offers multiple stations for passengers to place luggage into screening bins — which are larger than the standard bins. Any bags requiring further inspection are automatically steered to TSA officers via Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags, while the rest of the line moves along.
Creseda Hawk, who’s seeing her son off on a flight to Michigan today, says security is usually her least favorite part of flying.
“I hate this part. Just everybody trying to scramble, everyone is so nervous, the anxiety of it all. So to come through security this quickly? Was awesome.”
Hawk says her wait was less than 15 minutes today.
In general, the new system is designed to move things along faster. The TSA does not yet have any solid projections on exactly how much faster, and for now, the system’s installed at only four security lanes.
In the meantime, the TSA notes that the Memorial Day weekend is coming up. If you’re flying, it still recommends arriving three hours early.
Top Stories
