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High passenger volumes expected this summer in Maine airports

TSA is preparing for high volumes of passengers traveling through Maine airports this summer.

PORTLAND, Maine — The travel season this summer in Maine is expected to be very busy, with the possibility of exceeding passenger volumes reported from 2019, a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) news release stated.

TSA at Maine airports is already beginning to  prepare for the increase in foot traffic that this summer will bring.

TSA is currently seeing numbers ranging from 2,400 to 3,200 people a day traveling through the Portland Jetport (PWM) and about 1,000 to 1,300 people a day through the Bangor International Airport (BGR). According to the news release, last August TSA screened over 5,000 travelers a day at PWM and 600 a day at BGR.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic causing procedural changes to be made at TSA checkpoints, PWM is working to increase productivity with the expectation of high volumes of passengers passing through in the next few months.

New Credential Authentication Technology (CAT) and Computed Tomography (CT) scanners allow for TSA to better improve security and decrease the risk of physical contact at security checkpoints. TSA has installed two CAT scanners at BGR and three at PWM, as well as one CT scanner at BGR, the news release said.

TSA checkpoints at PWM will soon shift from four to five screening lanes to help meet this expected increase. The installation will begin next week.

“Daily passenger volumes at TSA checkpoints throughout Maine are getting busier every week," TSA Federal Security Director for Maine Bob Allison said in the news release. “To help expedite the screening process, we ask that passengers have their ID out and ready to either present to the TSA officer or to insert into the Credential Authentication Technology machine.”

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