PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

If you’ve got TSA PreCheck and you’re heading to Pittsburgh International Airport for a predawn flight, there’s a new place to go to pass through security starting on July 8.

From 4 to 7 a.m., head to the alternate checkpoint on the airport’s ticketing level. That will be the only TSA PreCheck area available at those times.

After 7 a.m. Monday-Friday and on weekends, TSA PreCheck will be available at the main security checkpoint and the alternate location, according to a TSA announcement. 

The change comes during the busiest summer the airport has experienced since 2019, which has resulted in longer than usual lines. Airport and TSA officials had each urged travelers earlier this week to arrive at the airport 3 hours early if they had an early flight.    

“The move will expedite the screening process, maximize space, and minimize line wait times for all travelers at both checkpoints,” TSA stated in its announcement about the change. 

TSA officials said they had experimented using the alternative checkpoint on the ticketing level over the past month and decided it would improve the flow of passengers.

The alternate checkpoint may reopen during the day on an as-needed basis, dependent on passenger volume to serve both TSA PreCheck and non-TSA PreCheck passengers, the TSA stated. 

PreCheck program travelers have an expedited screening and don’t have to remove their shoes, laptops or liquids, for example, to put in a separate bin. CLEAR, another pre-screening program, is only available at the main security checkpoint. CLEAR passengers with TSA PreCheck benefits should still use the CLEAR lane at the main security checkpoint.

On June 21, the airport announced that May 24 — the Friday before Memorial Day weekend — had been a record-breaking travel day nationally and locally.

TSA had screened more than 2.95 million travelers at airports nationwide, setting a new single-day record for the agency previously set during the Thanksgiving holiday in 2023.

That same day, PIT screened 18,255 departing passengers, the most daily passengers recorded at the airport since 2019.

Between Thursday, July 4, and Monday, July 8, TSA estimates that more than 32 million travelers will be screened on holiday weekend flights. That could mean a 5.4% increase from the holiday traffic last year. 

PIT offers an app that can provide helpful information to travelers even before they leave home. It tells you how long you have to wait in each security line, how many open parking spaces there are in each lot, what flights are on time and delayed and other information. 

Jilian Musser’s reporting is supported by the Pittsburgh Media Partnership.