New security screenings implemented Nov. 1 seem to have travelers across the country in a frenzy. But locally, the changes have been quiet. And officials expect it to remain so.
“As far as smaller airports, very little has changed for us,” said Mike Hainsey, director of Golden Triangle Regional Airport in Lowndes County.
Passengers stand in line for about five minutes, for a security scan, he said, a much shorter wait than larger airports. Increased security measures at GTRA include an advanced manual pat-down for passengers who set off the metal detector.
“In (the GTR) airport, a person would have to undergo the enhanced patdown because they set off the walk-through metal detector,” Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Sari Koshetz wrote in an e-mail. “A small number of passengers receive patdowns on a random basis.”
Advanced imaging technology has garnered much of the media attention. In Mississippi, the technology is only in place at the Gulport-Biloxi Regional Airport. There are 411 of the units in use at 69 airports in the country, Koshetz said, including in New Orleans and Memphis, Tenn.
Hainsey expects it to be years down the road before the technology is a possibility in Lowndes County. “For us it”s going to be a while, because it”s TSA funding to do that,” he said.
Despite enhanced security measures, the local airport hasn”t experienced any flight delays or complaints.
“We have not seen any delays due to screening, and we have not had any protests,” Hainsey said.
Though opponents of AIT encouraged holiday travelers to boycott full-body scans, air travel went smoothly during Thanksgiving.
Koshetz had the following tips for those traveling via air:
“At GTRA as at any airport you need to be sure you have nothing in your pockets and that you remove any large metal items like your cell phone or belts with buckles,” she said. “Ideally you should place all those items into your carryon or purse, rather than into the bins. Remove your shoes and outer garments. Remove your 3-1-1 bag and place it in a bin. Remove your laptop and place it in a bin by itself.”
She also recommended passengers have their ID and boarding pass when they arrive at the checkpoint.
“In airports with AIT, you may be asked to step into the AIT. If you decline to go through, you will receive a patdown,” Koshetz said. “If an anomaly is seen under your clothes, you will need a patdown.”
Traffic has been steady at GTRA, with its primary passengers being business travelers. Much of that is international travel, since the area has such an international presence at its Golden Triangle Regional Aerospace Park.
GTRA sees more than 6,000 travelers a month on incoming and outgoing flights. This year, passenger volumes have increased by 4 percent. For the past two months, travel has increased by 10 percent over October and November last year. The airport doesn”t see the huge spikes in traffic many large airports see during the holidays, since about 80 percent of its traffic is business travel.
In contrast to large airports, GTRA screens one flight at a time.
“There”s never any delays (due to screenings), which makes it a lot less hassle when passengers travel a small regional airport,”
While Hainsey acknowledged smaller airports often mean higher air fares, not having to drive to or from Birmingham or Memphis before or after a flight, alone, is worth the extra cost, he said.
How Advanced imaging technology works
· Millimeter Wave technology: bounces harmless electromagnetic waves off the body to create a black and white three-dimensional image
· Backscatter technology projects low level X-ray beams over the body to create a reflection of the body displayed on the monitor
Tips for travel
· De-clutter your carry-on bag.
· Keep packing liquids in checked baggage.
· Limit quantities to what is needed for the duration of the flight.
· Liquids can be kept in carry-on only if 3.4 ounces or less. Each passenger may carry only one quart-size zip-top bag with multiple 3.4-ounce or smaller containers.
Source: tsa.gov
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