Austin-Bergstrom International airport is consolidating its fast-track security options to a single checkpoint, in deference to construction aimed at expanding one of its terminals.
Passengers flying out of the airport have, since February, been screened through three TSA checkpoints. Each one is tailored to specific screening routines, including TSA’s CLEAR and PreCheck programs, the former of which uses biometrics to expedite the security process. Now, passengers in both these programs will be funneled through a single checkpoint—Checkpoint 2 West—a situation which will persist until the expansion project for the Barbara Jordan Terminal reaches completion in 2026.
The largest checkpoint in the airport, Checkpoint 1, serves eight customer lanes. Checkpoints 2 East and 2 West serve four and seven lanes respectively. The smallest of the airport’s four checkpoints, Checkpoint 3, closed earlier this year in deference to the construction. When the massive project finishes, Checkpoint 3 will re-open in an expanded form, and offer TSA PreCheck lanes.
As of the closing, Checkpoint 1 will offer General screening, Priority/Premium screening, Known Crew Member screening, and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) screening services. Checkpoint 2 East will offer only General screening, while Checkpoint 2 West will offer screening for CLEAR, TSA PreCheck, and PreCheck ADA screening, as well as General screening only for those in need of special accessibility accommodation.
The construction project which saw the close of Checkpoint 3 aims to add 75,000 square feet of space to the airport, which will include a new outbound baggage handling system and additional security screening lanes.
The expansion of checkpoints is part of a plan that airport officials have named the “West Infill” project. Expected to cost upwards of $214 million, the project aims to renovate and modernize the western sections of the Barbara Jordan Terminal, as well as pieces of the existing concourse. The expansion will also include new apron, baggage claim, roof, and mezzanine level areas. The project is part of an effort to cope with the spectacular growth that the City of Austin has seen in recent years.
