Tampa International Airport's newly expanded security screening checkpoint at Airside A is open.
This comes a month after a similar project at Airside E opened.
According to a new release, the expansion adds 20,560 square feet of waiting room and an increase to seven screening lanes from six.
RELATED: Tampa International Airport checkpoint opens in time for a busy spring break
But one perk about the expansion is that five lanes will have new computed tomography machines, which the airport is phasing in across all airsides. This addition allows travelers to not remove their shoes or electronics from their baggage during Transportation Security Administration screenings.
The checkpoint is accessible through a new Airside A shuttle lobby passageway. The space is open and bright with nearly floor-to-ceiling windows and high ceilings. The original shuttle lobby will be reconfigured as part of a larger project.
Kirk Skunner, the airport's TSA security director, said checkpoints are continuing to see record passenger volume, so the federal agency has been working closely with airport officials to prepare for future growth.
“The expansion of the airside checkpoints allows us space to add new technology that improves both security and efficiency," Skinner said.
The airside, which opened in 1995, was designed and built before TSA was established.
Smitha Radhakrishnan, the airport's executive vice president of planning & development and maintenance, said the upgrade is an investment to keep the passenger journey seamless and stress-free.
“Like the security screening area expansion at Airside E, we took great care to design a space that was open, well-lit, uses the latest technology and creates a welcoming environment for our travelers as they make their way through our airport," Radhakrishnan said.
