Post-Holiday Travel Rush: Pittsburgh International Airport’s Security Lines Soar

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Monday marks the concluding day of the three peak days for airports regarding holiday travel. It was anticipated to witness the holiday surge at Pittsburgh International Airport. 

At approximately 5 a.m. Monday, the security lines at the airport extended for about 70 minutes from the primary TSA checkpoint entrance to the Hyatt hotel.

“[An] hour and 10 minutes appears quite severe,” remarked traveler Angela Rosporski.

Airports are bustling during this period. 

“As long as I can return home, I’m content. I’ll endure the wait,” said passenger Jared Grimm.

At Pittsburgh International Airport, TSA personnel acted swiftly to open the alternative checkpoint, reducing wait times to single digits.

“We just arrived not too long ago. I hope it won’t take much longer, but we’re optimistic it will proceed without issues,” expressed traveler John Lasgaris.

For some fortunate travelers like Lasgaris, it was relatively smooth sailing. Yet, he is among the nearly 40 million individuals flying during this holiday season from December 19 to January 2.

“We simply aimed to return home before the year concludes,” said Lasgaris.

Wrapping up the year with this holiday travel rush indicates a 6% increase in the number of individuals passing through airports compared to last year. 

“A significantly larger number of people are traveling. COVID played a major role in that, so everyone wants to get out,” noted Lasgaris.

For some passengers, the journey entails full flights. 

“It has been quite smooth, except the flights are extremely crowded,” Rosporski mentioned.

Regardless of being packed or empty, the ultimate desire is to avoid cancellations or delays. The FAA states that approximately two-thirds of flight delays are attributed to weather, but your mindset during the journey can significantly impact the experience.

“Stay prepared for the worst; it will most likely turn out fine in the end,” advised Rosporski. 

As always, remember to verify your flight status to ensure it is not delayed or canceled before arriving at the airport, and plan to get to the airport two to three hours prior to your flight’s scheduled departure.