New technology is now on full display at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. The Transportation Security Administration unveiled new passenger self-screening lanes Wednesday, March 6, as plans to test it in other undisclosed cities are being made, according to The Associated Press.
The TSA said the new self-screening lanes are designed to cut down wait times for passengers. The new lanes feature a glass “body scanning booth” that has a screen inside with instructions on how passengers can pass themselves and their luggage through the screening process. The new system means no pat-downs are required, and minimal help is needed from TSA officers. TSA officials said that the self-screening lanes also help them reallocate officers to busier aspects of the checkpoint.
“We’re also looking at how we can reallocate officers to busier aspects of the checkpoint,” said Christina Peach, who works for the TSA. “We’re hoping that the system is going to inform a lot of those decisions.”
On its website, the TSA said that passengers should expect wait times of up to 30 minutes or less for standard lines. For PreCheck lanes, the website said that passengers should expect 10 minutes or less.
Currently, the new self-screening lanes are only for PreCheck customers in Las Vegas, and the technology is available only in English.
According to Airport Council International, Harry Reid International Airport was rated as the 10th busiest airport in the world in 2023. The data also shows that 39.75 million people traveled through the airport last year. So, Harry Reid International Airport officials are prepared for any potential problems the new self-screening lanes may encounter.
“There’s a checkpoint directly above us with 13 lanes where passengers are able to be processed, so we’re not really interrupting the local operations,” Peach said.
The new pre-flight screening process also comes as the TSA is predicting spring break travel to be up 6% from last year. According to the agency the busiest travel period will be between March 7 and March 25.
