MANCHESTER, NH — The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is increasing resources focused on airport security at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT) leading up to and after the primary election.
Significantly more travelers than usual are expected to fly out of Manchester on the day after the primary election, meaning that the airport terminal will be significantly more congested. Travelers are advised to arrive at the airport at least two hours prior to their ticketed flight. Passengers should expect it will take longer to return a rental car, longer to check a bag and longer to get through security due to the larger than usual crowd of travelers.
TSA has arranged for additional staffing to accommodate increased passenger volume as flights are expected to be full. There will also be increased law enforcement presence throughout the terminal and other airport locations.
In addition to arriving at the airport two hours prior to a scheduled flight, travelers can assist in checkpoint efficiency by properly preparing their belongings as follows.
- Passengers should have their ID and boarding pass out and ready for review when they arrive at the TSA ticket document checking podium.
- Travelers should be prepared to remove all electronics larger than a cell phone from their carry-on bags to be placed in a bin with nothing stacked above or below them to ensure that TSA officers can get a clear X-ray image of the items. This is noteworthy because it is common for reporters to travel with a host of electronic equipment.
- Make sure lithium batteries are removed from any electronics that may be packed in checked bags and place them in a carry-on bag. This is especially important for representatives of media outlets whose video cameras use large lithium batteries.
- Passengers should know what items must be transported in a checked or carry-on bag. Travelers who are not certain if an item should be transported in a carry-on bag, checked bag, either or neither can send a tweet or use Facebook Messenger @AskTSA to get live assistance.
- Passengers should consider downloading TSA’s free app. The MyTSA app has a handy feature entitled “What Can I bring?” in which travelers can quickly search which items you can bring with you through the checkpoint onto the airplane.