Flying Out of CLT? New Checkpoint Lanes Can Help You Jet Through Security, TSA Says

Feb. 19—Passengers at Charlotte Douglas International Airport should find it easier and quicker getting through one TSA security checkpoint in particular from now on, airport and TSA officials said Thursday.

Five new super-fast lanes recently installed at Checkpoint E and now in operation are the reason why, officials said.

The automated lanes include these features for getting travelers through the checkpoint faster, according to a news release by the federal Transportation Security Administration:

— "Remote" screening, where TSA officers conduct X-ray imaging of passengers' bags "from a quiet area away from the checkpoint."

— Countertops that let multiple passengers put items in bins at the same time.

— Automated rollers that move bins into the X-ray machine and return them to the front of the security checkpoint for passengers to retrieve.

— Diverting of bags with possibly prohibited items to a secure area while other passenger bins continue along uninterrupted.

— Bins 25% larger than traditional bins. The larger bins can hold a carry-on suitcase, TSA officials said.

— Radio Frequency Identification tags attached to each bin that make it easier for passengers to keep track of their carry-ons.

— Cameras that take digital images of what's in each bin and are linked to the X-ray images of the contents of the carry-ons.

The airport paid to test, maintain and install the lanes, and then donated them to the TSA, according to the TSA release..

Airport officials did not immediately reply to a request by The Charlotte Observer for the cost of the lanes.

TSA officials said 231 automated screening lanes are now in security checkpoints at 18 U.S. airports.

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