The Transportation Security Administration has been preparing for weeks for a smooth Memorial Day travel weekend.
“Memorial Day is typically the opening of the busy summer travel season so as we roll into it, we’re starting to get prepared,” said Mark Howell, TSA regional spokesman.
Howell said those preparations have included increased staffing, use of K-9 units for speedier security checks, and transitioning part-time workers to full-time positions.
“The topic of wait times is a big picture and there’s a lot of puzzle pieces that go into it,” Howell said, including increasing travel volumes and staffing and infrastructure issues.
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Howell said there's been a 7 percent increase nationally in passengers, and in some parts of the U.S. that rate is 15 percent. For large metro areas like Atlanta, that means an additional 8,000 passengers a day.
“It’s not just one thing in particular driving it,” Howell said.
Howell said passengers should arrive two hours before their flight and make sure no prohibited items are in their carry-on bags.
“We’ve gone all hands on deck for today; things are moving relatively smoothly across the United States,” Howell said.
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Valerie McKinney, of Princeton, N.J., was at the Dayton airport today. The Kettering native flew from Philadelphia and didn’t encounter any issues — this time. She’s on her way to the Indianapolis 500.
“It’s been great, there’s been no problem,” McKinney said. “The Philadelphia airport was in great shape, not very long lines.”
McKinney said she was very pleased to find no line at the Dayton airport.
“The flow-through seems to be just fine, no logjam at all,” McKinney said. “Two weeks ago, we flew out of Philadelphia airport and it was a disaster … the TSA line was backed all the way up across the walkways back to the parking garages and we were very glad we had pre-check that day.”
McKinney said she arrived an extra hour early today just in case.
“… Today we were really fortunate,” McKinney said. “But I really feel bad, I know two weeks ago when I saw those lines, I know those people missed their flights. You’re better to fly out of a smaller airport if you can.”
Adrienne Johnson of Connecticut arrived to the Dayton area today for a wedding. She didn’t encounter any issues.
“I feel bad for them because I don’t want to lay on a cot in an airport, I’m much too senior for that,” Johnson said. “I got a real good pat down. They kept saying I was ringing.”
