CLEVELAND, Ohio – Cleveland travelers may want to build in some extra time when they head to the airport this month, as passenger volume picks up and security screening lines grow long.
Aggravating the problem: The Transportation Security Administration is routinely operating just two of three checkpoints at Cleveland Hopkins, which is leading to long lines of impatient passengers snaking through the terminal.
One agent this week blamed the problem on an employee shortage due to the upcoming federal vaccine mandate. A spokeswoman for TSA, however, denied that the federal vaccine mandate was affecting staffing in Cleveland.
As federal employees, TSA workers are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Nov. 22, according to an executive order issued by President Biden in September.
Some travel experts are concerned that the mandate – and a possible exodus of TSA employees opposed to getting the vaccine — could lead to travel problems heading into the busy holiday travel season.
TSA spokeswoman Jessica Mayle said the upcoming mandate has not affected security screening in Cleveland.
“Staffing is not currently impacting operations, and TSA is well prepared to handle rising traveler volumes in the coming months and beyond,” she said.
She added that the North Checkpoint – that’s the one near the Spirit and American ticketing areas — has been shut down periodically for months, even before the COVID pandemic brought travel to a near halt last year.
“The North Checkpoint is open on an as-needed basis,” said Mayle. “TSA consults with our airline partners and, based on flight schedules and passenger-throughput projections, staffs that checkpoint when appropriate.”
Early Wednesday morning, typically one of the busiest times at the airport, the North Checkpoint remained closed as the TSA line for the South Checkpoint snaked through most of the upper level of the terminal.
The Central Checkpoint was open, as well, but is reserved for travelers who qualify for expedited screening through TSA PreCheck and other programs.
Air traffic in Cleveland has increased steadily in recent months, with 646,911 passengers traveling through the airport in September, down just 20% from two years ago. Nationwide, air traffic continues to rebound, with 1.99 million travelers passing through U.S. security checkpoints on Monday, down 17% from the same day in 2019.
Among those who traveled this week: Cleveland native Randy Phillips, who was flying home to Las Vegas on Thursday afternoon. He timed his trip through the South security checkpoint: 24 minutes from start to finish. He said the long line moved quicker than he initially feared.
“It looks worse than it is, but it is one of the longer lines I’ve seen mid-day at Hopkins,” he said.
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