MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Nearly halfway through what’s considered to be one of the busiest times of the year at Pittsburgh International Airport, some post-holiday blues made their way to the TSA checkpoint lines, as travelers were trying to get to their gates.
Around 300,000 passengers were expected to be at the airport in the 12 days from last Saturday through January 1st, according to our partners at the Pittsburgh Business Times. Channel 11 saw wait times of around an hour or more for the lines leading to TSA’s main check point in the early morning hours. Airport officials are reminding flyers to arrive two to three hours before their scheduled flights, which Mason Koma and his family planned for.
“Everyone knows the Pittsburgh airport, these 6 AM flights, sometimes you’ve got to be there even three hours early,” Koma said. “You know holiday travel is insane this time of year.”
“I’m a little overwhelmed, I wasn’t expecting it to be this long,” said Toyion Jordan, who was flying back to Kansas City after Wednesday’s Steelers vs. Chiefs game. “I don’t feel frustrated. It is the day after Christmas, a lot of people are traveling, so it is what it is.”
While some travelers told Channel 11 they’re frustrated with the system, others say they knew to prepare accordingly.
“You just gotta be ready, especially these mornings at the Pittsburgh airport. Those lines are going to be really long,” Koma said.
“Just a little nervous…” said Alexa Werner, who was flying to St. Louis. “Maybe opening the gates a little earlier, I think that was the issue of why the line got so long.”
Airport officials released the following statement after the Thursday morning rush:
“Pittsburgh International Airport continues to experience record-breaking crowds in 2024 passing through the checkpoints. Multiple new routes have come online this year with the investment in our community from our airline partners and the landside terminal is busier than ever.
This busy travel season has resulted in longer TSA security lines than usual across the country and large crowds are expected through New Year’s Day.
As a reminder, earlier this year TSA locally made some changes to the operation of the checkpoint. From 4 to 7 a.m. Mondays through Fridays, the alternate checkpoint is dedicated exclusively to TSA Precheck passengers and the main checkpoint is dedicated to non-precheck passengers in order to streamline and speed up the passenger experience.
When the new terminal opens later in 2025, the airport will have an expanded, consolidated security checkpoint that will improve the passenger experience.
During the holiday rush, the busiest travel times are the early morning hours of 5-8 a.m. departures. TSA recommends arriving more than 2 hours in advance when possible.
Passengers should check with their airline ticketing counter as to when they open. The TSA checkpoint is open 24/7.”
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