MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FLA. (WSVN) - Security screening may become easier for travelers at Miami International Airport after the introduction of automated screening lanes.
On Tuesday, officials from American Airlines, the Miami-Dade Aviation Department and Transportation Security Administration announced that two new automated security screening lanes had been launched in Concourse D at MIA, Oct. 10.
Officials said the automated screening lanes will incorporate technology and screening station modifications that will increase security effectiveness while decreasing the time spent in security lines.
“We worked diligently to launch these lanes well before Thanksgiving to give TSA and other staff members plenty of time to acclimate to the new process and the new technology,” said Ralph Lopez, vice president of MIA hub operations for American Airlines Miami.
Among the major differences, officials said, is that passengers will no longer have to wait for the person in front of them. If someone is moving slowly, passengers can move around them.
“Right now, we won’t have that issue anymore because of the multiple places to divest,” said Dan Ronan, TSA federal security director at MIA. “People can divest at their own speed, so that tends to speed up the process.”
The plastic bins at the new lanes are larger, and any bags that may need to be screened will be transferred automatically.
“No longer does the X-ray operator have to stop, get up from their chair and pull a bin out,” said Ronan. “They get to stay there and keep working.”
The lanes, which were funded by American Airlines, are only located at Security Checkpoint 4, at Concourse D, for the time being. However, airport officials hope to add more lanes throughout the next year.
The automated screenings are currently being used throughout airports across the U.S.
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