The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at Jackson Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport (JAN) has begun installing new computed tomography (CT) scanners in a phased approach at the two checkpoints.
Installation of the first unit began on September 9 in the West Checkpoint; another will be installed in the West Checkpoint in the week commencing September 23. One further unit will be installed in the East Checkpoint in October.
This installation approach is designed to reduce the impact on screening operations, but TSA says that passengers traveling on airlines using the West Checkpoint should allow extra time in the coming weeks. Once construction starts in the East Checkpoint, all passengers will use the West Checkpoint until the East Checkpoint’s new unit is active.
“We always advise passengers to arrive at the airport two hours before flight time,” said Kim Jackson, TSA’s federal security director for the State of Mississippi. “This guidance is especially important during these upgrades to our equipment.”
When a carry-on bag is screened through a CT scanner, travelers can leave everything in their carry-on bag, including electronics larger than a cell phone and 3-1-1 liquids in their bags. The opening to the x-ray tunnel on a CT unit is slightly smaller than on a traditional x-ray unit, so TSA advises travelers not to force larger items into the tunnel but to ask a TSA officer for assistance. Use of the CT scanner system requires that every carry-on item including suitcases must be placed in a bin for screening.
Read about the TSA installation of checkpoint CT scanners at Newark Liberty International Airport here.