Redmond Airport Encourages Spring Break Travelers to Arrive Early Due to Screening Checkpoint Changes

Passenger traffic thru Redmond Municipal Airport (RDM) is anticipated to increase in March during spring break season. Due the increased traffic and changes to the airport’s Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening checkpoint travelers are encouraged to arrive 90 minutes prior to their scheduled departure time to check-in early as the airline ticket counters can close 30 minutes prior to departure times.

On March 18, 2013 the Redmond Municipal Airport will be losing the L-3 Advanced Image Technology (AIT) or millimeter wave machine that was installed approximately one year ago. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has a mandate to reallocate deployed L-3 AIT equipment among airports nationwide. As a result of one of the manufacturers Rapiscan unable to meet a timeline for enhancing software on its deployed equipment, approximately 171 of those machines will be removed.

Airports around the country will be impacted until additional L-3 equipment can be manufactured for re-deployment. The Airport is anticipating the amount of time for a passenger to be screened at the checkpoint to increase as a result of increased number of pat downs and longer wait times to go thru the screening process.

“With the peak spring break season upon us and the loss of the AIT machine at Redmond, we expect travelers to experience an increase in passenger screening wait time,” states Kim Dickie, Airport Director. “We want to ensure our passengers continue to receive the quality of services they have come to expect from our facility, while being mindful of the increased demands on the TSA and airline personnel.”

www.flyrdm.com.