After a record-breaking May, five airlines will have the largest number of seats available for flights at Pittsburgh International next month.
With the increase in capacity, wait times can be longer at the TSA checkpoints.
The Airport Authority's Joe Rotterdam told KDKA Radio they're advising travelers to get to the airport early.
“We are seeing record-breaking crowds for travel through our current TSA checkpoint for example and we are recommending travelers for that key 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. time period to arrive at the airport 2-and-a-half to 3 hours early,” said Rotterdam.
In May more than 890,000 passengers passed through Pittsburgh International, up almost 11% from a year ago.
Some relief will come to passengers in 2025, when the new terminal opens at Pittsburgh International. 11 TSA security lines, along with a family line, will open.
The TSA says over 32 million people will travel between June 27 through July 8, an increase of 5.4 percent compared to last year.
The peak travel day will be Friday, June 28, with 3 million people traveling across the country.
“We expect this summer to be our busiest ever and summer travel usually peaks over the Independence Day holiday,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. “Compared to last year, we have cut our attrition rates by almost half and increased our recruiting as a result of the TSA Compensation Plan that was funded in the budget passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden. The traveling public is on the move, which is a sign of a healthy economy. We are ready, along with our airline and airport partners, to handle this boost in passenger volumes.”
You can help make security line move quicker by:
Having your ID and boarding pass ready at the security checkpoint entrance
Be prepared to take your shoes off if your between 13 and 74-years-old
Double check your bag going through security – restricted items (like guns) slow down lines.
See the entire TSA list here.