Nov. 16, 2023 - In time for the holiday travel season, CLT has opened a new state-of-the-art security checkpoint. Checkpoint 1 can screen multiple travelers at once because it is equipped with six highly efficient Automated Screening Lanes (ASL) and two standard lanes.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) estimates it will be able to screen 20% to 30% more passengers than other checkpoints.
“Having Checkpoint 1 open for Thanksgiving travel will help us tremendously,” said CLT’s Chief Infrastructure Officer Jack Christine. “Managing the Airport’s growth is not only about adding square footage, but also about leveraging technology like ASL.”
CLT is consolidating its five security checkpoints into three larger checkpoints, and the change will increase the Airport’s capacity to move travelers through screening as quickly as possible. The checkpoints are alphabetical. Going forward, the Airport will have Checkpoints 1, 2 and 3. Once complete, CLT will go from 20 to 21 security lanes. Over half of the lanes will be Automated Screening Lanes, which increases hourly throughput by approximately 20% over standard lanes. Travelers will still be able to access any gate from any checkpoint.
The first major milestone in the checkpoint consolidation is opening Checkpoint 1, a bright, open space that replaces Checkpoint B. The TSA started processing passengers at Checkpoint 1 on Nov. 5. There are 16 travel document podiums where TSA agents verify travelers’ identification.
Automated Screening Lanes
Passengers familiar with the traditional Airport security process know you wait for the person in front of you to put their bags on the belt, take off their shoes, take out their computer and liquids then go through the metal detector or body scanner before the next person can begin the process. ASLs allow multiple travelers to put their belongings in bins for screening at the same time.
Here’s how it works. Each ASL has three individual side-by-side stations where people can work independently, at their own pace. Once the bins are ready to be checked, travelers slide them forward and the automated belts take it from there. Travelers then move on to the metal detectors or body screeners, no longer having to wait for the person in front of them to finish.
TSA agents view X-ray images of the bins remotely in a room nearby. If they spot a potential security issue, the bin’s unique Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag is flagged, and the bin is automatically routed to a separate area. This allows the screening process to continue uninterrupted for other travelers.
Checkpoint E, which has five ASLs, will be renamed Checkpoint 3 early next year. Checkpoint C and D will be consolidated into Checkpoint 2 in winter of 2025.
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