O’Hare To Have Speedier Security By Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving’s peak travel rush will be easier at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, the site of some of the longest security line delays this spring, as both American Airlines and United Airlines will have open new automated security screening lanes.

American recently opened two new security screening lanes in Terminal 3 that automate some tasks normally performed by humans, potentially reducing wait times by 30%, the carrier said. There are 18 checkpoint lanes in Terminal 3.

The new screening lanes return plastic property bins to the beginning of the line and divert bags that need additional inspection, allowing other passengers and bags to continue through security.

United also said it will have three lanes open in its Terminal 1 hub at O’Hare by Thanksgiving Day, for passengers enrolled in the TSA’s Pre-Check program, according to published reports.

The automated lanes come six months after long lines delayed thousands of O’Hare passengers. Under the new scheme, TSA workers will still review images of bag contents on a monitor, and conduct personal searches.