TSA prepares for a busy summer air travel season in Alaska

The Transportation Security Administration is expecting a busy summer air travel season in Alaska.

“Anchorage has recovered to about 90% of its passenger volume in the past seven days, compared to the record year in 2019,” said TSA spokesperson Lorie Dankers during a press conference in a busy Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport on Monday. “That’s pretty significant as you’re going into peak summer travel season.”

New technologies are in use at the TSA screening checkpoint at the airport to help improve efficiency. A new Credential Authentication Technology is used to verify the authenticity of credentials and confirm flight status, eliminating the need to show a boarding pass to the Transportation Security Officer.

TSA also installed a computed tomography scanner to screen travelers’ carry-on luggage. The new technology generates a 3-D image of the contents of the bag, giving officers a better view and ultimately reducing the number of bag checks required.

Due to the recovery in air travel, the TSA is looking to fill 80 positions at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. The TSA is hosting a two-day recruitment event at the Sheraton Anchorage Hotel & Spa on Tuesday-Wednesday, June 15-16.

On Sunday, TSA screened more than 2 million travelers at airports nationwide, a pandemic record.