The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Delta Air Lines have together launched new automated security screening lanes in Terminal C at LaGuardia Airport (LGA), New York, introducing state-of-the-art checkpoint technology to one of the busiest airports in the country.
The automated screening lanes utilizes technology that enhances security effectiveness while decreasing the time passengers spend in security screening. Four more lanes are set to open in Terminal D in the next few weeks.
Robert Duffy, TSA’s federal security director at LaGuardia Airport, said, “TSA continues to deploy state-of-the-art technologies to ensure that we focus on protecting passengers who fly out of LaGuardia Airport.
“We look at this new equipment and our partnership with Delta as being able to provide enhanced security while improving the traveler’s experience. The new automated screening lanes offer several features designed to improve the screening of travelers by automating many of the functions previously conducted manually, which allows travelers to move more swiftly and efficiently through the checkpoint.”
The new lanes include features such as automated conveyor belts that draw bins into the x-ray machines and return the bins back to the front of the queue for passengers; property bins that are 25% larger than those in standard screening lanes; and cameras that capture photographic images of the contents of each bin, which are linked side-by-side to the x-ray image of a bag’s contents.
Delta was the first airline to invest in the implementation of automated screening lanes last year. The airline has since enabled the installation of around 40 lanes in cities around the country, including 17 at nearby John F Kennedy International Airport at its Terminals 2 and 4.
Henry Kuykendall, Delta’s senior vice president for airport operations-Northeast, commented, “Over the past year, Delta has led the industry on innovative solutions that improve the customer experience from curb to gate, including RFID baggage handling, real-time bag tracking, and a groundbreaking app that helps Delta pilots avoid turbulence for a more comfortable flight.
“These high-tech automated screening lanes are another way we’re working to take care of our customers, and we’re pleased to play a role in bringing them to our terminals at LaGuardia. We know a quicker journey through the security checkpoint will improve the entire airport experience for our New York customers who travel through our LaGuardia hub.”