CHARLOTTE, NC – With the holiday weekend approaching, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is providing travel tips and a description of changes made to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Over the past several weeks, TSA has experienced a steady growth of travelers coming through airport checkpoints and is monitoring the growth closely for staffing and security purposes. Passengers processing through the security checkpoints at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) are reminded to leave all prohibited items at home to facilitate their checkpoint experience.
TSA officers have stopped 16 guns at CLT checkpoints so far this year. The latest was on Monday: a loaded Smith and Wesson.
“Even during these unprecedented times, our officers continue to respectfully and professionally uphold their oath to protect the traveling public from all threats to aviation,” said Kevin Frederick, Federal Security Director for CLT and Western North Carolina.
Procedure changes travelers should expect to see:
Keep possession of their boarding passes. At some of the checkpoints at CLT, instead of handing their boarding pass to a TSA officer at the travel document podium, travelers will now place their boarding pass (paper or electronic) on the boarding pass reader themselves. After scanning, travelers should hold their boarding pass toward the TSA officer to allow the officer to visually inspect it. This change reduces the TSA officer’s need to touch a passenger’s boarding pass, thus reducing potential for cross-contamination.
Separate food for X-ray screening. Passengers should place their carry-on food items into a clear plastic bag and place that bag into a bin. Food items often trigger an alarm during the screening process; separating the food from the carry-on bag lessens the likelihood that a TSA officer will need to open the carry-on bag and remove the food items for a closer inspection. This requirement allows social distancing, reduces the TSA officer’s need to touch a person’s container of food and reduces potential for cross-contamination. TSA Precheck members do not need to remove items from their bags.
Pack smart. Passengers should take extra care to ensure that they do not have any prohibited items, such as liquids, gels or aerosols in quantities greater than 3.4 ounces, in their carry-on bags (water bottles, shampoo). In response to COVID-19, TSA is allowing one liquid hand sanitizer container, up to 12 ounces per passenger, in carry-on bags. Passengers are required to remove the hand sanitizer from the carry-on bag before being submitted for X-ray screening. If a bag is found to contain a prohibited item, passengers may be directed to return to the divestiture table outside of security with their carry-on bags to remove the item and dispose of the item. The passenger may also be directed back outside of security to remove, items that should have originally been divested (such as laptops, liquids, gels, and aerosols, and large electronics) and resubmit their property for X-ray screening. By resolving alarms in this manner, TSA officers will need to touch the contents inside a carry-on bag much less frequently, reducing the potential for cross-contamination.
Practice social distancing. Passengers should allow for social distancing to reduce direct contact between employees and travelers whenever possible without compromising security. Noticeable adjustments leading up to the security checkpoint include, increasing the distance between individuals as they enter the security checkpoint, placing visual reminders of appropriate spacing on checkpoint floors and staggering the use of lanes where feasible. No two airports are alike, so this could look a little different at each airport.
Wear facial protection. TSA officers at checkpoints are wearing facial protection. Travelers at airports such as CLT are required to wear face protection as well, Passengers may need to adjust their masks during the screening process. Travelers are also encouraged to remove items such as belts, and items from their pockets, like wallets, keys and phones, and put them directly into their carry-on bags instead of into the bins to reduce touch-points during the screening process.
Travelers who have not flown since the pandemic are also likely to notice some other changes. They include:
- Reduced security lane usage due to the reduction in passenger volume.
- All TSA officers at checkpoints wearing masks and gloves.
- TSA officers optionally wearing eye protection and clear plastic face shields at some locations.
- TSA officers will continue the practice of changing gloves after each pat-down.
- Plastic shielding installed at many travel document checking podiums, divest, bag search and drop off locations.
- TSA officers practicing social distancing.
- Routine cleaning and disinfecting of frequently touched surfaces in the screening checkpoint area.
Many airlines and airports are also providing specific COVID-19 related guidance to travelers; please check with your airline prior to your trip. Travelers are encouraged to arrive at the airport early to allow adequate time for checking bags, completing security screening and getting to the departure gate. Individuals who were traveling in the early months of the pandemic became accustomed to arriving at the security checkpoint shortly before their flight departure time. With more people flying and new procedures such as social distancing, do allow ample time for the pre-flight experience.
The TSA reminds passengers that knives, tools greater than 7 inches and guns are not permitted in carry-on bags. Firearms may be transported in your checked bag if they are declared to the airline at check-in, unloaded and placed in a locked, hard-sided case. The traveler is responsible for knowing the gun laws within the state of departure and the state of arrival, as well as municipal laws, if applicable.
For more information on the TSA security screening process during the pandemic, visit www.tsa.gov.