A remote TSA security checkpoint has been unveiled for passengers jetting out of Boston Logan airport – and it means travelers will be able to avoid long, winding lines that were synonymous with the agency’s funding crisis.
The new program, which is set to come into force on June 1, has been declared the “first of its kind” by Massachusetts Port Authority officials.
Travelers will be able to clear security checks before they even reach the terminal at Boston Logan – an airport which handles more than 43 million passengers a year.
The remote security checkpoint will be located in Framingham – which is around 25 miles from the airport – and the option will only be available to Delta and JetBlue customers flying between 5:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. under the first phase.
Massport says it aims to expand the service to additional airlines.
Tickets for each-way journeys start at just $9 and slots can be booked within a window of 90 days to 90 minutes before a flight, but passengers have been urged to reserve their spots quickly.
Buses will leave Framingham around 45 minutes before the respective flight departures.
Massport and airline officials have revealed how they want to make traveling more seamless for customers.
“Delta is built for Boston, and we’re always looking for ways to make the travel experience better for our New England customers,” Charlie Schewe, Delta’s Director of Sales East, said.
“This forward-thinking program is exactly the kind of innovation we want to be part of – elevating the journey and getting people to their destination seamlessly. We’re excited to work alongside Massport to bring this to life.”
JetBlue officials say they are looking forward to working with airports to make the travel process smoother.
“JetBlue has always focused on creating a seamless experience for our customers, from the first moment of planning a trip, to after they reach their destination,” said Daniel Blake, Jet Blue’s Airport Experience Vice President.
The new security checkpoint is just one strategy that has been unveiled when it comes to enhancing customer experience.
On Tuesday, Transportation Security Administration bosses unveiled their new initiative TSAGold+ – an expansion on the existing Security Screening Partnership, and what the TSA is referring to as “the future of aviation security.
The new security model is a public-private partnership intended to modernize and enhance current airline security at select airports, and it aims to set the standard in the screening process through agreements with private contractors.
“As the next evolution of the Screening Partnership Program (SPP), TSA Gold+ is a transformative upgrade to offer airports the opportunity to “opt in” to a public-private screening model tailored to their unique needs, ensuring continuity and operational stability even during federal government shutdowns,” a TSA spokesperson told The Post.
The partial government shutdown, triggered by the lapse of Homeland Security funding, spanned a record-breaking 76 days before it ended on April 30.
Around 50,000 security officers went without pay – and more than 480 quit their roles.
In late March, TSA Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill told lawmakers on the House Committee on Homeland Security that several airports reported a callout rate of 40 to 50 percent.
“This has led to the highest wait times in TSA history, with some wait times greater than 4.5 hours,” she said.
McNeill spoke openly about the possibility of having to close smaller airports during the shutdown.
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