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TSA Asks For Travelers’ Help Ahead of Holiday Weekend TSA Seeks Travelers' Help Ahead of Holiday Weekend & Summer Season

By Raven Brink

ANCHOR: THE SUMMER SEASON IS HERE – AND WITH THE FOURTH OF JULY AROUND THE CORNER MANY ARE PACKING THEIR BAGS AND HEADING TO THE AIRPORTS – OUR RAVEN BRINK WAS AT SYRACUSE INTERNATIONAL TODAY TO TELL US WHAT HOLIDAY FLYERS CAN EXPECT

RAVEN BRINK: THERE’S NOTHING BUT WARM WEATHER AND LIGHT RAIN IN THE FORECAST BUT IT’S A LITTLE TOO FAR TO LOOK INTO THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND, BUT AS MUCH AS THE WEATHER PLAYS. A FACTOR IN OUR HOLIDAY PLANS… IT ALSO HAS AN IMPACT ON FLIGHTS, BUT IT’S NOT THE ONLY THING THE SYRACUSE AIRPORT IS HAVING TO FACE

WITH FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS AND DELAYS ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY, STAFFING SHORTAGES AND INCREASED BOOKINGS – ITS LOOKING LIKE THE PERFECT STORM FOR A LONG TRIP TO THE AIRPORT. BUT TSA SECURITY DIRECTOR BART JOHNSON SAYS THE PUBLIC CAN HELP EASE THE WAIT AT THE TSA LINES

BART JOHNSON: START WITH A CLEAN BAG – FOLLOW DIRECTIONS ON TSA WEBSITE

BRINK: JOHNSON SAYS THAT 10 PERCENT OF BAGS ARE PULLED OFF THE LINE TO BE CHECKED AND A TSA AGENT SAYS BAG CHECKS ARE LENGTHY AND CAN ONLY BE DONE ONE AT A TIME
TAS AGENT: A FEW MINUTES TO 20 MINUTES DEPENDING

BRINK: AND WHILE THIS MAY NOT SEEM LIKE A LONG TIME – JOHNSON SAID ADDED UP OVER THE OVER 600 HUNDRED EXAMPLES IN THE LAST 3 DAYS WOULD ADD UP TO 50 HOURS OR JUST OVER 2 DAYS .

AND SAYS THAT ARRIVING 90 ,MINUTES EARLY WILL HELP YOUR VACATION HAVE A GOOD START.

BRINK: SO GETTING TO THE AIRPORT EARLY AND MAKING SURE YOUR CARRY ON IS PACKED CORRECTLY MAY NOT BE THE ONLY THING THAT HELPS YOU GET THROUGH THIS HOLIDAY WEEKEND

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Today the TSA asked for travelers’ help ahead of a busy summer season and the approaching holiday weekend.

Since 2019, the airport has seen decreases in both staff and travelers. But, a recent report in April noted that the airport is now seeing pre-pandemic levels of travelers.

Every 1 in 10 bags gets pulled from the line to be checked, and although Johnson said Syracuse Airport is at normal staffing levels again, TSA stops lead to congested TSA line. That’s a problem heading into the peak season.

“We don’t want to be wasting resources on unnecessary things,” TSA Security Director Bart Johnson said. He said that every bag-check, if lasting just a few minutes, adds up quickly.

And as flight cancelations and delays continue to impact the country, easing TSA lines “is one way to create a stress-free experience,” Johnson said. Other tips Johnson recommends include following the guidelines on the TSA website, and even tweeting at the TSA — as the TSA said they have an active Twitter.

Johnson said when he travels he starts with a clean bag, follows the guide, and shows up the the airport with identification and ticket information in hand, and carry-ons packed correctly. He even offered the additional advice of arriving at the airport 90 minutes early to ensure one can get their cup of coffee and get to their gate with no added stress.

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