Effective immediately, Orlando International Airport (MCO) is recommending that outbound passengers allow a minimum of two hours to get through ticketing and the TSA screening checkpoint.
As per officials at the airport, the TSA has just begun implementing “enhanced” passenger security screening procedures at MCO, which include TSA officers yelling at telling asking travelers to, “remove electronics larger than a cell phone from their carry-on bags and place them in a bin with nothing on top or below, similar to how laptops have been screened for years.” This is in addition to removing laptops, liquids (although these are great alternatives for some liquid items), powders and (sometimes) food from their carry on luggage and small personal bags.
Travelers are encouraged to organize their carry-on bags and keep them uncluttered to ease the screening process and keep the lines moving.
These “enhanced” procedures were announced in mid-2017 and have been slowly rolled out in airports all around the U.S. ever since. And now it’s MCO’s turn.
Here’s the complete press release, dated April 23, 2019, from MCO:
ORLANDO, FL. – The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has implemented enhanced passenger security screening procedures at Orlando International Airport. As a consequence, the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority and our airline partners advise passengers to arrive at their airline ticket counters no less than two hours prior to their scheduled departure time.
To help expedite the screening process, travelers should remember to dispose of liquids prior to entering the security screening lines and should also be prepared to place all electronics into the bins for screening. Passengers traveling on early morning and international flights, should check with their airlines about recommended arrival times.
“Maintaining safety and security are always our priorities, however, we also have a major focus on customer service and convenience, which is why I feel it is necessary to inform our travelers to arrive early at Orlando International Airport,” says Phil Brown, Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. “Allowing extra time will better enable passengers to locate parking, process through their airlines and move through enhanced TSA security screening with the least amount of stress.”
The new suggested early arrival time goes into effect immediately.
These updates to TSA security will not affect passengers who are enrolled in TSA Pre✓® who are using TSA Pre✓® lanes.
*** Thanks to Michael G. for the heads up about this subject
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
4 comments
It is good to be aware of this change and unfortunate to hear the wait time.
[…] Orlando Int’l Airport: Effective Immediately, Allow At Least 2 Hours for Ticketing + TSA Screening – YMMV […]
It is so interesting to me that we can find oil and natural gas hundreds of feet below the ground, detect certain chemicals from a tailpipe just by driving by a sensor, and get thousands of experiments into space but we haven’t come up with a simple way to screen people and bags.
Right there with you…