TSA chief calls for big TSA PreCheck member growth — and says those big CT scanners are faster than you think

On any given day, about one-third of passengers passing through Transportation Security Administration checkpoints use TSA PreCheck lanes.

The organization’s top leader hopes that one day it will be three out of three riders.

“We’ve said it publicly, and I’ll say it again here: We want more people at PreCheck,” said TSA director David Pekoske last week during remarks at the Regional Airline Association Leaders Conference in Washington, DC.

To be clear, he does not mean three quarters of all travelers; PreCheck passengers often fly more than the average American – so on a given day, they make up a large portion of the passengers at the airport.

Still, it’s an ambitious goal.

After all, the TSA recently surpassed 20 million active TSA PreCheck members, a record and a milestone that itself represents impressive growth from 18 months earlier, in 2023.

In total, about 40 million travelers are currently authorized to use fast lanes. This results in frequent flyers who gain access to TSA PreCheck through Global Entry, and security-cleared agency employees are eligible for expedited security screening.

Related: Global Entry vs. TSA PreCheck: Which is more beneficial?

But the thought of a the majority of travelers on a given day using the TSA PreCheck lanes may cause fear for some current members.

Daily Newsletter

Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter

Join over 700,000 readers for the best news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG experts

After all, due to its existence for 11 years, this program is primarily a “travel trick” – a shortcut to airport security and among the best tools travelers have to make their airport experience seamless.

In the eyes of the TSA chief, however, more passengers approved by TSA PreCheck means more passengers being stopped through airports. This helps in security and removes a large part of the traveling public to pass through checkpoints with the efficiency TSA PreCheck offers.

Won’t TSA PreCheck slow down if more people sign up?

“We will make any effort we need to make sure the PreCheck wait time stays 10 minutes or less,” Pekoske said.

Look no further, he pointed out, with wait times kept under control during the summer travel season which sees each of the 10 busiest days of all time.

Related: 8 Ways to Get Free or Discounted TSA PreCheck, Global Check-In and Clear

How exactly will the agency accept half (or more) of passengers on any given day using TSA PreCheck lanes in the future? It’s simple, according to Pekoske.

“We will open more PreCheck lanes and close regular lanes,” he said.

Related: US connections after some international flights for greater convenience

Are CT scanners really slow?

Speaking to TPG in a wide-ranging interview last week in Washington, DC, Pekoske also provided clarification on criticism of the agency’s new computed tomography scanners (commonly known as CT scanners). It’s the big, white machines with green lights that are rolling out to test sites across the country as part of a major investment by the company.

The TSA is clear about the security advantage these high-tech devices offer than ever before: The devices generate 360-degree scans of travelers’ bags, providing officials with three-dimensional images of what’s inside. It is an important step forward in catching potential security threats.

But since the scanners first appeared in airports at the beginning of this decade, no travelers have complained about their speed.

I asked Pekoske if this was a valid complaint.

“There’s a little truth to it,” he said. “If you see [your bag] walk in the belt, stop for a while in the tunnel. Then, the antenna rotates around the bag. That gives you a 360-degree view. That takes a few seconds. It’s a small amount.”

But that slight delay, Pekoske says, is more than offset by some of the equipment’s time savings. For example, even on non-TSA PreCheck technology lines, travelers can leave liquids and large electronics in their bags, eliminating the time it takes to unload those items.

Also, the more accurate scanning of these machines creates fewer secondary bag searches due to false alarms. That saves time, too.

Recent software upgrades to the agency’s body scanners have also reduced the need to unlock by 50%.

Add it all up, Pekoske said, and travelers are spending less time, overall, at technical checkpoints — though much of that could be spent on the secure side waiting for bags to show up.

“People think it takes a long time, but when you look, in the end, it doesn’t,” Pekoske said. “We will look for ways where we can make it flow evenly. That is what we are working on.”

The future of 3-1-1

Even travelers so far unconvinced about the benefits of CT equipment may change their ways, however, when they learn of another skill they may one day unlock.

Finally, with the help of technology, the TSA hopes to end its decades-long ban on liquids in carry-on bags of more than 3.4 ounces — billed as part of the “3-1-1 rule.”

Really, that means that someday in the future, travelers should be able to bring a full-size shampoo or bottle of sunscreen in their carry-on bag. Overseas, the United Kingdom has already begun to try to relax its similar policy, although the government ordered to completely end its alcohol laws has hit the latest (or temporary) snafu.

For now, don’t expect relaxed liquid policies in the US anytime soon. Among other things, the CT machines that would make such a move are scheduled to be fully operational across the country by 2042, based on the agency’s current funding levels. The lengthy budget process this year, Pekoske said, puts even the 2042 target at risk.

With that in mind, when can American travelers see a relaxation of alcohol laws?

“I hope it will be sooner rather than later. But it is not around the corner,” said Pekoske, while noting that he would prefer not to wait 18 years – or more – to start making changes.

“I don’t think it’s worth it for travelers to wait until the 2040s to do this when other European airports will be fully equipped with CT technology and will be doing it before us,” he said. “I hope we can get there and make some changes along the way.”

Related reading: