SALT LAKE CITY — While Phase One of the new Salt Lake City International Airport may be nearly complete, the old safety measures still apply.
However, TSA officials say their new system should make things quicker and easier for passengers visiting the airport.
It is the beginning of what TSA agents hope will be your fast pass to a hassle free flight, but there are a few things passengers need to know ahead of time.
First, those flying no longer need to hand a boarding pass to the officer; it's simply placed on a scanner where the agent reads the information on a screen behind a plastic barrier.
When arriving at the area where passengers store belongings in a bin, those bins automatically pop up and are bigger, able to hold a carry-on bag.
Bags are X-rayed on the main level, while below, officers are able to look at the bags via remote cameras.
Travelers are also reminded to take items like cell phones, coins or other personal items and put them right in a carry-on bag, so loose contents are not potentially left behind in the bin.
The other advice and warning from the TSA is to take the time to make sure there are no prohibited items in baggage, in particular weapons like knives or firearms.
“During this threat of the coronavirus people want a touch less experience through the checkpoint," said the TSA's Lorie Dankers. "The best way to do that is to make sure you don’t bring items in your bag that are going to need a bag check."
"So, take that few minutes before you come to the airport and make sure everything that you have in your carry-on is allowed and you’ll be able to come right through.”
While during the pandemic air travel is down considerably, when things return to normal, in particular during busy holiday travel times, 16 lanes will be available here at the main TSA checkpoint.
All TSA officers will be wearing PPE and in some cases they will be wearing plastic face shields and they will always be wearing gloves.
And if for some reason passengers would like officers to change their gloves, they can request them to do that. The goal is to get everyone through this process as quickly and safely as possible.