Smooth sailing through security lines at McCarran in Las Vegas
Marina Pavisic looked relaxed as she scrolled through her smartphone Thursday morning while waiting for a flight home to Albuquerque, New Mexico.
She spent only five minutes making her way through the Transportation Security Administration’s checkpoint at McCarran International Airport, and had more time on her hands than planned.
“I can’t believe how fast that was,” Pavisic, 23, said. “It’s scary to see the long wait times you’re seeing in other airports, but it was really good here.”
Security lines are expected to get longer as the summer travel season ramps up nationwide, but travelers passing through Las Vegas shouldn’t experience the onerous waits seen in Chicago and elsewhere, said Christine Crews, a McCarran spokeswoman.
The secret, Crews said, stems from an ongoing collaboration between airport officials, the TSA and the airlines in coordinating resources to anticipate the busiest traffic flows, ranging from popular conventions such as the Consumer Electronics Show to Memorial Day weekend.
“If we work together and talk about what we’re expecting, then the passengers benefit by getting through the lines more quickly,” Crews said. “This is important because people come to Las Vegas for leisure, and if they have a hassle at the airport, then they may choose somewhere else for their next vacation.”
On an average day, about 62,000 airline passengers are screened at McCarran, TSA spokeswoman Lorie Dankers said. On Thursday, it expected to screen about 64,000 travelers, swelling to about 77,000 by the time the holiday weekend ends Monday, Dankers said.
Despite the smooth sailing at McCarran, Dankers said travelers still should plan to arrive about two hours before their flight is scheduled to depart.
“I made sure to leave an hour earlier than normal and I didn’t have any problems at all,” Tim Scully, 59, of Tucson, Arizona, said while waiting at McCarran’s Terminal 1 for a flight to Phoenix. “I think any government-run program is going to be a problem, including airport security, but today was OK.”
Contact Art Marroquin at amarroquin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0336. Find @AMarroquin_LV on Twitter.