Baggage Check Deadline Enforced at Chattanooga Airport, Official Says

Jun. 28—Air carriers at Chattanooga Airport are enforcing a deadline of requiring passengers to check their luggage at least 45 minutes before a flight's scheduled departure, an official said Wednesday.

Terry Hart, the airport's chief executive, said as traffic increases at Lovell Field, the airlines won't check bags under the 45-minute mark.

"That process stops," said Hart in a phone interview, adding that strictly adhering to the checked bags policy will support the carriers operating efficiently and departing on schedule. "If you're checking a bag, get there early."

He said the airlines have always recommended arriving at least two hours before a flight is scheduled to leave.

Also, Hart said that because of new scanning technology at the Transportation Security Administration checkpoint, some large suitcases that were making it through in the past now won't do so.

"The older machine was bigger," he said. That makes it more key that all passengers with baggage to check arrive early to to do so at the airline ticket counter, according to the airport.

The recommendations for travelers come prior to what's expected to be a busy long July Fourth weekend for airports. AAA expects 4.17 million travelers to fly, up more than 11% from 2022 and higher than the previous record of 3.91 million in 2019.

"The share of air travelers in the overall holiday forecast this year is an impressive 8.2% — the highest percentage in nearly 20 years," AAA said in a news release.

Chattanooga Airport touts its convenience to check bags, get through the security checkpoint and board an aircraft in comparison to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Nashville International Airport.

Hart said he has noticed air passengers arriving at the terminal well under the two-hour recommendation. He said all the nation's airports have bag check deadlines similar to the one undergoing enforcement in Chattanooga.

People at Chattanooga Airport on Wednesday had mixed views about the 45-minute cut-off.

Hank Plain of Dunlap, Tennessee, said he believes the deadline is a reasonable one.

"I've got no problem whatsoever," he said in an interview.

But Kevin Winters of Dade County, Georgia, said in an interview that he could see some travelers having an issue.

"That's a little too strict," he said. "It's a little too much."

Hart said passenger airport boardings in Chattanooga continue to bounce back from the pandemic-induced slow down. Through April, boardings hit 127,512 passengers, up 12% from the same period last year, according to figures.

The airport's carriers had passenger loads of nearly 90% in April, figures show. Hart said he believes the airport is on pace for close to 500,000 passenger boardings for 2023.

Contact Mike Pare at [email protected] or 423-757-6318.

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