LINTHICUM, Md. - To ensure the security of airline passengers and the nation’s airports, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has begun to implement new, stronger screening procedures for carry-on items at airports across the country with the procedures being phased in at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in the weeks ahead.
The new procedures require travelers to place all personal electronic devices larger than a cell phone in bins for X-ray screening and are designed to address the current terror threat by raising the baseline of aviation security. The new procedures were originally announced earlier this year.
As TSA implements this new procedure, passengers can expect to see TSA officers ask travelers to remove personal electronic devices larger than a cell phone from their carry-on bags and place them in a bin with nothing on top or below, similarly to how laptops have been screened for years.
“This simple step helps TSA officers obtain a clearer X-ray image by uncluttering carry-on bags, thus allowing for a clearer X-ray image for our officers," says Andrea R. Mishoe, TSA’s federal security director for Maryland.
Examples of personal electronic items that should be removed from carry-on bags include laptops, tablets, e-readers and cameras.
The new procedures are currently being phased in nationwide until all of the checkpoint lanes at all airports are brought on board in the weeks ahead. The incremental launch allows time for all TSA officers to receive training in the new security measures.
TSA officers will be stationed in front of the checkpoint X-ray machines to guide passengers through the screening process and recommend how best to arrange their carry-on items for X-ray screening. Travelers are encouraged to organize their carry-on bags and keep them uncluttered to ease the screening process and keep the lines moving.
There are no changes to what travelers can bring through the checkpoint. Food and liquid items that comply with the 3-1-1 liquids rule, electronics, and books continue to be allowed in carry-on bags. As always, TSA suggests passengers arrive to the airport two hours prior to their scheduled departure time from the nation’s largest airports to allow adequate time to navigate the ticketing, baggage and security screening processes.
The new security measures do not apply to passengers enrolled in TSA Pre✓® who are using TSA Pre✓® lanes.
Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration
