SARASOTA, Fla. — As Sarasota-area residents prepare for summer travel season, officials with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) gathered to share important tips and reminders for travelers at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport.
While the airport made it through the spring break push, traffic volume is still at a record-setting high, causing congestion issues at every airport in the region, according to Kirk Skinner, the TSA Federal Security Director for greater Tampa Bay.
"Sarasota has seen incredible growth," Skinner said. "They're running at least 1,000 passengers over their volume from last year, and we expect to see more increases in the coming years."
That growth has led to many expansion projects, including one addressing the airport's parking situation, which Skinner says is a persistent issue. With that high traffic volume in mind, people want to know if TSA will be quick enough to help them get to their flights on time. However, Skinner asserted that the responsibility lies on the passengers, not TSA.
"TSA is not about 'fast.'" Skinner said. "TSA is about screening every passenger, every bag effectively and efficiently."
Airport President and Chief Executive Officer Rick Piccolo added that the only issue his TSA team runs into is impatient passengers.
"People have to remember it's one of the few jobs in the world where you have to be right 100% of the time, or people can get killed," Piccolo said. "When they get impatient at a security checkpoint, I think they have to keep in mind that they're just trying to protect you."
Piccolo added that it takes roughly 10-20 minutes to get through a security checkpoint at Sarasota Bradenton during peak travel times.
While Skinner said people should arrive two to three hours early to ensure they'll make their flight, Piccolo says 90 minutes before should be efficient.
For more security information and tips from Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, click here.
