TSA requires food be removed from carry-on bags at airport security

In this pandemic age, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration is giving new meaning to the term “takeout.”

At Pittsburgh International Airport and others across the country, the TSA is now requiring travelers to remove any food they have in their carry-ons and place it in a bin to be screened at the security checkpoint.

The agency recommends that travelers put the food in a clear plastic bag at home before setting it in a bin at the airport

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The change is just one of several that the TSA has made at checkpoints in an effort to combat COVID-19, keep travelers and employees safe, and quicken the pace.

In a press release, TSA Administrator David Pekoske said the agency is “committed to making prudent changes to our screening processes to limit physical contact and increase the physical distance as much as possible.

“We continue to evaluate our security measures with an eye towards making smart, timely decisions benefiting health and safety, as well as the traveler experience,” he said.

While air travel has been decimated by the coronavirus, there have been signs of a reawakening in recent weeks. On Sunday, the TSA screened 590,456 passengers nationwide. While that is nowhere near the 2.7 million it did on the same day last year, the number is the highest since March 20.

At Pittsburgh International, the TSA on Thursday reopened the alternate checkpoint on the airport’s ticketing level for the first time since March 18, though only from 4:30 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. Thursday through Monday.

“It was opened due to increased demand,” airport spokesman Bob Kerlik said.

The Findlay airport also has been experiencing a bit of a comeback, with 92,500 people using the facility in May compared to 32,400 in April. On Friday, 5,000 people boarded planes there – the most since mid-March.

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In response to the increased demand, the airport plans to reopen its long-term parking lot Thursday for the first time in nearly three months. The only one that has been open during the pandemic is the short-term garage. The extended-term lot will remain closed.

As travelers return, they will be facing requirements to wear masks, to practice social distancing, and to remove food from their carry-ons to be screened.

The reason for the latter is that food can trigger an alarm while bags are being examined at the checkpoint. Food tends to be organic, as are some of the materials used to make explosives, TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein explained.

By removing food from the carry-on, it lessens the chances a TSA officer will have to open the bag, she noted.

“This requirement allows social distancing, reduces the TSA officer’s need to touch a person’s container of food, and reduces the potential for cross-contamination,” the agency added in a statement.

Another big change is that travelers no longer are being asked to hand their boarding passes to a TSA officer at the checkpoint.

Instead, they should place the boarding pass on the boarding pass reader themselves and then show it to the officer for a visual inspection.

That way, the officer does not have to touch the pass or the cell phone displaying it, Ms. Farbstein said.

Other changes that travelers will see are increased distancing within the checkpoint and staggering the use of lanes when feasible.

At Pittsburgh International, travelers are required to wear masks throughout the airport. TSA officers also are using face coverings and gloves. In addition, plastic shielding has been installed at checkpoints.

While not required, it might be wise to put pocket items like keys and cell phones into a carry-on bag so they don’t have to be placed in and removed from a bin, Ms. Farbstein said.

“It reduces a touchpoint,” she noted.

The TSA also is reminding travelers to keep liquids, gels and aerosols brought in carry-ons to 3.4 ounces or less.

The exception is hand sanitizer, which can go up to 12 ounces. However, it must be removed from the carry-on bag at the checkpoint.

Frequently touched surfaces within the checkpoint are routinely being cleaned and disinfected. The airport is doing the same throughout the complex. www.post-gazette.com