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The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is poised for the ongoing wave of travelers at Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) and across the country. Acrylic barriers and improved technology now reduce or eliminate physical contact between passengers and TSA personnel.
But while you’re preparing to fly after what could be a year or more for many, the TSA offers serious tips for navigating the airport checkpoint. The first is to arrive early, two hours early. Please note that your plane doors will be closed 15 to 20 minutes before the stated flight time and you may arrive just when there is a crowd to check a bag or go through security. TSA employees screen record passenger numbers at RSW, even higher than before the start of the pandemic
“The health and safety of our workforce and the traveling public remains our critical mission,” said Robert McLaughlin, who took over as Federal Security Director in the Transportation Security Administration at RSW after returning from a five-year TSA assignment in North Africa and the Middle East. “I have been impressed with the professionalism of our TSA staff and the remarkable teamwork with Lee County Port Authority and the Lee County Port Authority Police.”
The TSA has installed the latest checkpoint technology – CT 300s – as well as CATs of credential authentication technology, which reduce both points of contact. The CTs or computed tomography equipment uses complex algorithms to search for threats, allows TSA agents to rotate the images and thereby reduces the need to open bags. Passengers screened in lanes with this new equipment will not have to remove their 3-1-1 bag or their electronics.
In the lanes with CAT machines, passengers are separated from TSA officers by acrylic barriers and can insert their own ID or passport. No boarding passes are required in those lanes. The equipment verifies the identity of passengers and confirms in real time that they are flying that day.
Face masks for both employees and passengers are mandatory in all domestic modes of transport, including airport and airport-wide security checkpoints. Since the implementation of the federal mandate for face masks for travelers on Feb. 2 and its subsequent extension through September, masks have been mandatory regardless of any local or state relaxations of restrictions. Those who refuse to wear a mask face fines from the TSA and the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) if the violation occurs while flying. The TSA continues to work closely with all transportation partners to enable the highest safety standards within a travel environment that helps reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Travelers should follow these six tips to get through the TSA checkpoint as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Tip 1: Wear a face mask. You have to. Face masks must be worn at the airport, on airplanes and on all public transportation and at stations, ports or similar transportation hubs, regardless of state and local laws.
Tip 2: Leave prohibited items at home. To reduce the chance of physical contact with TSA officers at the checkpoint, verify items are prohibited using the: “What can I bring?” page on TSA.gov. Also empty your pockets with your wallet, coins, telephone and other permitted items in your own hand luggage, not in the bins in the checkpoint. That will also reduce touchpoints.
Tip 3: Prepare yourself at the security checkpoint. Make sure you have a valid ID card to hand. Follow the liquid rule of 3.4 ounces or less, with the exception of hand sanitizer, which has a temporary limit of 12 ounces in carry-on baggage.
Tip 4: Never guns at checkpoints. Airline passengers are only allowed to fly with firearms in checked baggage. All firearms must be properly packed and declared at check-in. Please contact your airline for additional guidance. And know what the laws are on both sides of your journey.
Tip 5: Help is always available. Get live help by tweeting your questions and comments to @AskTSA or via Facebook Messenger, weekdays from 8am to 10pm EST and weekends/holidays from 9am to 7pm EST. You can also call the TSA Contact Center at 866-289-9673.
Tip 6: Register now with TSA PreCheck. “Travel with ease” by enrolling in TSA PreCheck and avoid removing shoes, belts, liquids, food, laptops and light jackets. Most new subscribers receive a known traveler number within five days and the membership lasts for five years.
TSA is committed to supporting a healthy and safe environment for our employees, airport staff and airline passengers. For additional information on TSA procedures during COVID-19 as part of our “Stay healthy. Stay safe” campaign, visit tsa.gov/coronavirus.
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