STL Expands TSA Checkpoint in Terminal 2

Posted on April 18, 2018 in News

St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) has completed a checkpoint expansion project creating a 7th security screening lane that will be used during peak hours in Terminal 2. The additional lane will accommodate the continued expansion of flights and passengers on Southwest Airlines and new international service beginning May 17 on WOW air between St. Louis and Reykjavik, Iceland.

STL has been coordinating this project with the TSA, which reported a 5.5 percent growth in passenger screenings in Terminal 2 last year. In 2017, TSA cleared 2,844,701 passengers versus 2,697,344 in 2016.  That was on top of Terminal 2 passenger screening growth in 2016, which was up 6.3 percent over 2015.

“This additional lane will increase our capacity for expedited screening by 33 percent during peak times in Terminal 2.” Said Jim Spriggs Federal Security Director for TSA Missouri.  “It will also give us greater flexibility to expand standard screening operations at two checkpoints so that we can better support our summer travel season.”

The new security lane was added to Terminal 2’s west-end checkpoint which now has three lanes to accommodate TSA’s expedited screening, also called Pre✓™. The primary checkpoint consisting of four security lanes usually accommodates standard screening operations. The TSA can flex screening programs to either checkpoints based on passenger check-in volume.                                      

Southwest is currently operating 113 daily departures, up six flights over last year in April. Early this month it added new service to San Jose, CA (SJC) and Sacramento, CA (SMF). Southwest will also be adding daily service to Hartford, CT (BDL) beginning August 7.  WOW air’s May launch of international service will begin with four weekly flights to Iceland’s Keflavik International Airport (KEF) on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. On June 3, WOW air will add a fifth weekly flight (Sun) through September 23.

“We anticipate even more growth in Terminal 2 this summer with the addition of the non-stop service to Iceland, the new California destinations on Southwest, as well as Southwest’s new service to Hartford in late summer,” said STL Director Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge. “The security expansion gives the TSA additional flexibility to increase passenger screenings and reduce security wait times.” 

As a reminder, travelers can still join the TSA Pre✓™ program. Registration begins online at www.tsa.gov/precheck.  The second phase of the registration is an appointment at the  TSA Pre✓™ enrollment center located in STL’s Terminal 1 on the Ticketing Level near the MetroLink at Entrance #2.