TSA expands PreCheck amid long airport lines

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) on Friday announced it is adding four airlines to its PreCheck program in an effort to ease long airport lines and enhance security.

Eligible customers will now be able to use PreCheck when flying on Aeromexico, Cape Air, Etihad Airways and Seaborne Airlines, making a total of 16 carriers that now participate in the program.

{mosads}“Expanding TSA PreCheck will enable more travelers to experience the program’s benefits while improving security and reducing checkpoint wait times,” said TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger in a statement.

“As more people enroll, we will be better positioned to increase overall security effectiveness and create more efficiency in the screening process.”

The announcement comes ahead of the busy travel season at a time when the TSA has been struggling with staffing shortages and an increased volume of passengers, which has led to overwhelmed security lines and missed flights all around the country.

Some lawmakers are pushing a bill that would expand enrollment in the PreCheck program, which allows flyers who have undergone background checks to move through expedited security lanes without taking off their shoes or removing their laptops from bags, but the measure has remained stalled in the Senate.