Austin-Bergstrom International Airport moves one step closer to adding fourth security checkpoint at main terminal
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Passengers wait in a security check line at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. The three existing checkpoints would receive machine upgrades, but would remain largely unchanged. (Benton Graham / Community Impact Newspaper)
As passenger numbers near pre-pandemic levels, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is moving quickly to increase security capacity and is proposing a project that would add a fourth security checkpoint and upgrade machines at the existing three checkpoints.
The Airport Advisory Commission cleared the $ 1.5 million project to be submitted to Austin City Council for final approval during its October 12 meeting.
The potential investment comes after ABIA announced massive expansion efforts in July, called the Airport Expansion and Development Program, which aims to keep the airport on track to accommodate 31 million passengers by 2037, as projected in the 2040 Master Plan.
Shane Harbinson, deputy chief of planning and development for the aviation division, said the airport plans to begin work on the additional security checkpoint in November, which is expected to be completed between December and February 2022. Railways into the future.
Harbinson also said upgrading the Transportation Security Administration machines at the existing three checkpoints will play an important role in speeding up the security process for travelers.
“The goal, however, is that this new machine TSA installed should be faster, so your throughput should be instead of 150 or [160] Passengers per hour, maybe you can get 180 because it’s a faster machine, ”said Harbinson.
According to the Aviation Documents Department, the number of passengers reached 1.3 million in August compared to 1.5 million in August 2019. The airport also had its fourth busiest day on October 8, with 30,010 passengers, said airport spokesman Sam Haynes. She added that the second weekend of the Austin City Limits Music Festival and the University of Texas football game versus the University of Oklahoma likely played a role in increasing passenger traffic.
Given these rising numbers, the airport is asking passengers to arrive at the airport 2.5 hours before departure for domestic flights and 3 hours before international flights.
The Airport Advisory Commission did not unanimously support the project, as chairman Eugene Sepulveda feared the airport had given security enhancement priority over improving exit options for passengers with reduced mobility.
“I will state that I am dissatisfied with the lack of priority over people with reduced mobility” [people] and seniors in the design and maintenance of what we do here, ”said Sepulveda.
The main terminal has two exits, but it has been discussed to add two more exits as part of its expansion program.
The airport expects Austin city council to vote on the security enhancement project ahead of the November 9 airport advisory board meeting, Haynes said.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect that the main terminal currently has two airport exits.
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