HELENA, Mont. - The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) this week began offering full TSA Pre✓® screening benefits to eligible travelers departing Helena Regional Airport (HLN) during peak travel times.
TSA Pre✓® screening allows travelers to leave on their shoes, light outerwear and belt when going through the security checkpoint. Travelers can also leave their laptops, electronics larger than a cell phone and travel-size liquids in their carry-on luggage.
“TSA is pleased to partner with HLN to bring the full TSA Pre✓® screening experience to travelers,” said TSA Federal Security Director for Montana Dan Fevold. “HLN now joins more than 200 airports nationwide that offer this screening experience to its customers.”
TSA anticipates that full TSA Pre✓® screening will be available 4:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., which is a peak time for travelers departing HLN. It may also be available 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., depending upon available staffing and passenger volume. When the dedicated TSA Pre✓® lane is not open, travelers eligible for TSA Pre✓® will still be allowed to leave on their shoes, light outwear and belt, but will be asked to remove laptops, electronics larger than a cell phone and travel size liquids from their carry-on luggage.
In mid-May, HLN hosted a TSA Pre✓® enrollment center and more than 600 local residents enrolled at that time. Bozeman-Yellowstone International Airport is currently hosting a TSA Pre✓® enrollment center that is open weekdays through Friday, June 28. It is located on the second floor of the airport and it is open 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The address is 850 Gallatin Field Road in Belgrade, Mont.
Travelers who are screened through a TSA Pre✓® lane find their experience to be more streamlined and quicker. Recent national data shows that in May 2019, 92% of travelers screened through a TSA Pre✓® lane waited five minutes or less to be screened through the security checkpoint.
For more information on TSA Pre✓® and enrollment, visit www.tsa.gov/precheck. Sixty-seven airlines, including domestic and international carriers, participate in TSA Pre✓®, giving travelers even more options and reasons to enroll in the program. Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, all of which serve HLN, participate in TSA Pre✓®.