PITTSBURGH, Pa. – As airline passengers have begun to take to the skies for this summer travel period, the surge in passenger volume at Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) in the early hours of the morning has started to exceed the capacity of the security checkpoints, particularly during the hours of 4 to 7 a.m. Mondays through Fridays. The increase in passenger volume is a result of additional flights that have been added by airlines to accommodate traveler demand.
Travelers who are booked on early morning flights are advised to get into the airport terminal at least two to three hours prior to their scheduled departure time because the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint lanes are the most crowded between 4 and 7 a.m.
In an effort to best meet the increase in early morning travel volume, we are adjusting passenger flow to facilitate checkpoint efficiency and improve the customer experience,” said Karen Keys-Turner, TSA Federal Security Director for the airport. “Starting on July 8, between the hours of 4 and 7 a.m., Mondays through Fridays, the alternate security checkpoint will be dedicated exclusively to travelers enrolled in TSA PreCheck® who are ticketed to fly out of PIT. PreCheck lanes at the main checkpoint will not be open during this time.
The move will expedite the screening process, maximize space and minimize line wait times for all travelers at both checkpoints. TSA piloted this change for a few days last month to determine whether it would improve passenger flow and the agency has decided to move forward with the change in early July.
Travel volume has increased tremendously during the past several months and the change is an effort to improve checkpoint efficiency and streamline passenger flow into the checkpoint during the early morning peak travel period. TSA PreCheck® passengers should proceed directly to the alternate checkpoint on the departures level as opposed to going to the main checkpoint Monday through Friday from 4 a.m. to 7 a.m.
After 7 a.m., a TSA PreCheck lane will be available at the main checkpoint through 8 p.m. The alternate checkpoint may reopen during the day on an as-needed basis, dependent on passenger volume to serve both TSA PreCheck and non-TSA PreCheck travelers.
Signs will be posted in the terminal to inform travelers of this change as they arrive in the terminal and make their way to the TSA checkpoints. TSA PreCheck passengers arriving at the main checkpoint 4 to 7 a.m. will be redirected to the alternate checkpoint. Save time by proceeding directly to the alternate checkpoint.
CLEAR passengers should still proceed to the main checkpoint.
TSA is staffed to screen passengers nationwide, including at PIT, however there are a limited number of checkpoint lanes at Pittsburgh and during the early morning peak period, the number of travelers exceeds the capacity of the checkpoints. PIT’s new terminal, expected to open in 2025, will alleviate checkpoint capacity issues.
The high passenger volume is a nationwide trend. On Sunday, June 23, TSA screened 2.99 million travelers nationwide. It set a record for the most people screened in a single day in TSA’s 22-year history. In fact, seven of TSA’s top 10 busiest days in history have taken place since mid-May.
Nationwide, TSA expects to screen more than 32 million individuals from Thursday, June 27, through Monday, July 8, which is a 5.4% increase over 2023 Independence Day holiday travel volumes.