PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) has issued a travel alert advising passengers with early morning flights to arrive up to three hours early due to record-breaking crowds and long security lines.
In a social media post on Monday afternoon, the airport recommended that travelers with flights between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m. arrive 2.5 to 3 hours early to ensure they have enough time to get through security.
“We are aware that this busy summer travel season has resulted in longer TSA security lines than usual across the country. We are working with TSA to streamline the security process as much as possible at PIT,” an airport spokesperson said. The spokesperson also noted that record-breaking crowds and multiple new routes have made the landside terminal “busier than ever.”
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reported screening nearly 3 million travelers on Sunday, setting a new record. In fact, seven of the busiest travel days ever have occurred in the last 30 days. The TSA anticipates screening 32 million more travelers between June 27 and July 8 for Independence Day travel.
“We expect this summer to be our busiest ever, and summer travel usually peaks over the Independence Day holiday,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a news release.
Friday is projected to be the peak travel day, with the TSA expecting to screen more than 3 million people. Despite the high volume, the agency states it is staffed to maintain the standard wait time of 30 minutes or less, with even shorter waits for TSA PreCheck lanes.
Travelers are urged to plan ahead, allow extra time, and take advantage of TSA PreCheck if possible to ensure a smoother experience during this exceptionally busy travel period.