Travel
Here's The Reason Behind Pittsburgh Airport's Long Security Lines
Why has it been taking so long to get through Pittsburgh International Airport security checkpoint lines recently? Here is the explanation.
MOON TOWNSHIP, PA — There is a reason why there have been tortuously long waits in Pittsburgh International Airport security lines in recent weeks, and it's a positive one: A near-record number of travelers.
More than 970,000 passengers went through the airport last month, according to Blue Sky News, the facility's online publication.
That's the largest number of people in and out of Pittsburgh International in nearly 20 years. The airport saw more than 1.02 million passengers in July 2005, when it was still a US Airways hub.
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June also saw the airport's largest monthly increase over pre-pandemic traffic levels with almost 70,000 more passengers than during the same period in 2019.
The jump in passengers prompted the Transportation Security Administration to initiate significant security checkpoint changes two weeks ago after lengthy lines were causing a growing number of travelers to miss their flights.
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The checkpoint challenges for passengers are expected to ease next year when the airport's new $1.5 billion terminal debuts.
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