American Airlines, who occupies the busy Terminal 3 at ORD, has decided to take matters into its own hands and hire a force of workers to assist the TSA with the screening process. The airline believes that the extra workers will speed up the process by collecting and handing out x-ray bins as well as instructing passengers to take off their shoes, remove laptops, etc. This will hopefully free up the TSA agents to focus on screening each passenger.
The problem at O'Hare is not a unique one, unfortunately. Airports all around the country are experiencing abnormally long security lines amid a cutback in TSA personnel. Despite increased air travel this year, the TSA has cut the force of screeners it employs by 10% (about 4,600 employees). There isn't much hope for a reduction in wait times anytime soon, as experts have suggested that an additional 6,000 screeners are needed while only about 800 will be hired by next month. If you're planning on flying at all this summer, you should sign up for TSA PreCheck right now in order to reduce the time you spend waiting in line.
H/T: Daily Herald
