Chicago – The Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) today announced that O’Hare International Airport had the highest percentage of passengers waiting less than 15 minutes at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints among major U.S. airports during the month of August. This is the second consecutive month that O’Hare has posted the shortest TSA wait times for passengers.
“Maintaining a safe and secure environment for travelers and employees will always be our number one priority,” said CDA Commissioner Ginger S. Evans. “As we’ve shown this summer at Chicago’s airports, we can be safe and secure, while also providing efficient service for the traveling public during one of the busiest summer travel seasons on record. I want to thank the TSA for fully delivering on their staffing commitment they made to Chicago’s airports and for their recognition of O’Hare’s importance to the national aviation system.”
The improvement in TSA wait times at both O’Hare and Midway International Airports is provided in bi-weekly performance reports that have been released by the CDA since mid-May. Highlights from the latest TSA performance report released today are captured below.
O’Hare International Airport TSA highlights:
· Average TSA wait time is now two minutes – down from 15 minutes in May.
· Average peak wait times are down to six minutes — a reduction of 99 minutes at peak times in May.
· The number of canine teams has tripled since May to help expedite TSA screening.
· The TSA added 115 screening officers and 267 part-time screening officers were converted to full-time since May.
Midway International Airport TSA highlights:
· Average TSA wait time is now three minutes – down from 11 minutes in May.
· Average peak wait times are down to nine minutes — a reduction of 56 minutes at peak times in May.
· The number of canine teams has increased with two additional temporary canine teams for peak hours added since May to help expedite TSA screening.
· The TSA added 53 additional screening officers and 29 part-time screening officers were converted to full-time since May.
The TSA performance reports for O’Hare and Midway International Airports can be found here.
The significant reduction in TSA wait times at both of Chicago’s airports this summer is a direct result of Mayor Emanuel’s collaborative efforts with Administrator Neffenger, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and other federal partners to secure additional screening officers and canine teams assigned to O’Hare and Midway. The CDA continues to communicate on a daily basis with everyone involved to ensure this progress is maintained.
The Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) is self-supporting, using no local or state tax dollars for operations or capital improvements at O’Hare and Midway International airports. Together, Chicago’s airports generate more than $45 billion in annual economic activity and create 540,000 jobs for the region. Please visit www.flychicago.com to learn more about the Chicago Department of Aviation.