“At JFK for example, just from March 15- April 15, there were 253 instances of waits 20 minutes or more wait times at TSA check points”, said Thomas Basco, Port Authority of NY and NJ.
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Travelers taking to the skies for the Memorial Day weekend say security lines are moving faster than expected after weeks of costly delays at US airports. The TSA is putting new measures in place in hopes of speeding up lines, but say passengers would rather be safe than sorry.
Bass said around the first of the year, TSA reclassified the Redmond Airport to account for its growing passenger numbers. And during holiday weekends like this Memorial Day, results can be beyond frustrating. More than 23,000 people have used the site since it went live on May 5.
Over Easter weekend, which coincided with spring break, some 600 Charlotte passengers missed their flight because of long security lines. Both Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport have threatened to make the same move and San Francisco International Airport has already replaced the TSA with private contractors.
Airport officials would not discuss how much they are spending on fortifying perimeters.
At LaGuardia Airport in Queens, less than a dozen people were waiting in line Friday morning, 1010 WINS’ Roger Stern reported.
Airports say their outer defenses are strong, that the miles of fences, gates and guardhouses protecting their properties are secure and that many intruders who get through anyway are quickly caught. Compared to travelers at other airports across the country however, Hobart said passengers departing from the Bay Area have been spared the worst of the security screening backlog.
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Based on its poll of 233 respondents released Friday, 48% said they did not think the security lines were longer than in previous travels, while 44% thought lines were longer, and 7% didn’t recall one way or another. “However, we still recommend travelers arrive at the airport earlier than normal to allow for the possibility of longer lines”. Security delays are expected during the heavily traveled Memorial Day weekend.
