The roads and airport may be quiet in the evening but earlier Wednesday, they were packed with holiday travelers.
This is just the start of the busy travel season, but Bradley International Airport has made changes to help streamline the security process.
“Everything seems to be going smoothly and it doesn’t seem too crowded right now so I’m feeling pretty good about it,” Katherine Acus, of Burlington, Vermont, said.
She’s thankful she’s able to travel through Bradley without stressful security lines.
Get Connecticut local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Connecticut newsletters.
“I feel like we’re going to definitely make our flight no problem,” Acus said.
One thing the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said may be helping are advanced 3D scanners used to check bags. Several are installed at Bradley, allowing passengers to leave laptops and small liquids in their carry-ons.
“That technology is helping speed up our security screening times,” Daniel Velez, spokesperson for TSA New England, said.
Local
Velez said nearly 10,000 passengers are screened during the busiest days at Bradley. The agency said it has more screeners working than last year thanks to a major pay raise.
“We’re keeping people on board. Our retention levels are really good, and we’re fully staffed and ready to go,” he said.
The holiday travel rush is also bringing in additional scrutiny to people’s bags. Velez said so far, seven guns have been detected at Bradley this year, up from five last year and close to the record of nine in 2021.
“Anytime when you have more people traveling through security screening lines, there’s a tendency to find more prohibited items,” he said.
Some travelers are optimistic streamlined security means less anxiety for them.
“Hopefully everything goes well. There’s not a lot of wood to knock on. There’s some wood-colored metal but I think we’re good,” Drew Acus, of Burlington, Vermont, said.
Velez said passengers should arrive to Bradley at least 90 minutes before their scheduled flight in case of any issues with security.
