After anticipating extra long airport security lines this year, the Transportation Security Administration has taken steps to fix the problem. Their latest solution involves adding new screening technology to Chicago (O’Hare), Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, and Miami. They’ll also include a pilot program in Phoenix. The TSA and American Airlines will install automatic screeners that handle travelers’ carry-on luggage and, according to the TSA, will reduce wait times by about 30 percent. They rolled out a similar program with Delta in Atlanta.
TSA says their automated equipment will include:
• Automated belts that draw bags into the X-ray machines, returning the bins back to queue after completion of the screening.
• A bag with a potential threat can be directed to a separate area to allow bins behind it to continue through the system uninterrupted.
• Proprietary bins that are 25 percent larger than the bins in regular screening lanes.
• Unique Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags that are attached to each bin to allow for additional accountability of items as they transit throughout the system.
• Cameras that capture photos of the outside of the bag, which are linked to the X-ray image of the bag’s contents.
They plan to roll out the new technology in those airports by the end of the year.
