TSA Will Toughen Security Screening At All U.S. Airports
by Daniel McCarthy /
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is planning to expand new, stronger security protocols, which it has been testing at 10 U.S. airports, to all airports nationwide over the next few months.
The changes, which the TSA says are aimed at “raising the baseline for aviation security nationwide,” will require that any electronics larger than a cellphone be removed from carry-on bags and placed in a separate bin. That, the TSA says, will help officers get a better X-ray image.
Travelers might also see new procedures at security lanes, including more bag checks, which the TSA said will “improve screening procedures with quicker and more targeted measures to clear the bags.”
“It is critical for TSA to constantly enhance and adjust security screening procedures to stay ahead of evolving threats and keep passengers safe,” said acting administrator Huban A. Gowadia in a statement.
The new procedures are already in place at 10 U.S. airports – Boise Airport, Colorado Springs, Detroit Metropolitan, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International, Logan International, Lose Angeles International, Lubbok Preston Smith International, Luis Muñoz Marín, McCarran International Airport and Phoenix Sky Harbor International.
The new standards, which Gowadia said will allow officers to “more closely focus on resolving alarms and stopping terror threats,” don’t include any changes to the TSA’s 3-1-1 liquids rule or TSA PreCheck procedures.
There was no specific timetable for their rollout, by the TSA said they will be expanded “during the weeks and months ahead.”
The news comes less than two weeks after the United States ended its ban on passengers carrying electronics larger than a smartphone onboard airplanes on some Middle East and Africa flights.