SCHUMER ANNOUNCES INSTALLATION OF TSA PRE-CHECK ENROLLMENT CENTER SET TO BEGIN ON NOVEMBER 3 AT SYRACUSE HANCOCK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT – SCHUMER PUSHED TO BRING CENTER TO SYRACUSE; PREVIOUSLY, RESIDENTS WHO WANTED TO ENROLL HAD TO TRAVEL ALL THE WAY TO OSWEGO – NEW CENTER WILL MEAN SHORTER, MORE CONVENIENT SECURITY LINES FOR TRAVELERS
Installation of TSA Pre-Check Center At Syracuse Hancock Airport Will Begin On November 3 & Located on Level I, Terminal A At The Airport – Schumer Helped Bring Pre-Check Program To Syracuse, Which Enables Travelers Deemed Safe To Enter Terminal With Expedited Screening
Schumer Successfully Urged TSA To Bring A Pre-Check Enrollment Center To Syracuse to Make Air Travel Easier For CNY Residents – Now, Residents Will Have Enrollment Center Like Rochester and Albany After Installation is Completed
Schumer: TSA Pre-Check Enrollment Center Is Set To Take Off November 3rd
Today U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced the installation of its Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Pre-Check Enrollment Center at the Syracuse Hancock International Airport will begin on November 3, 2015. The center will be located on Level I, Terminal A, between the airport security and uniform security desks. In May, Schumer announced he had successfully urged the TSA to establish an enrollment center in Syracuse. During his initial push, Schumer said that it would make it easier for residents of Syracuse and the surrounding towns to take advantage of the Pre-Check program. This program provides expedited security screenings for low-risk travelers. Schumer noted that both Rochester and Albany have local pre-check enrollment centers and Syracuse needed one too, as Central NY travelers currently have to travel all the way to Oswego to enroll. Having this enrollment center at the Syracuse Airport up and running will mean more Syracuse travelers can take advantage of the pre-check program. Schumer said this center will create a safer, more convenient flying experience for many Central New Yorkers by reducing wait times without hampering airport security.
“With the great news that the Syracuse TSA Pre-Check center will be up-and-running soon after installation begins on November 3, there is only one thing left for Central New Yorkers to do – enroll. This soon-to-be-open center will mean Syracuse travelers no longer have to travel 40 minutes out of the way to register and can instead experience a more convenient travel experience with reduced wait times,” said Schumer. “Syracuse Hancock International Airport is a major hub for business and leisure travelers alike, and I was proud to help bring this program to Central NY, which will shorten security lines and make travelers’ days a lot less stressful.”
“I am pleased the TSA Pre-Check enrollment center will be up and running soon at the Syracuse Hancock International Airport, allowing travelers from across Upstate New York to enroll in this convenient program,” said Syracuse Mayor Stephanie A. Miner. “I appreciate the work of our federal partners to make this happen.”
Schumer said that without this new center, travelers have to drive 40 minutes north to Oswego to register for the Pre-Check program at an office that is only open from8:00am-12:00pm and 1:00pm-3:00pm, Thursday and Friday. Schumer said the long drive and difficult hours made it hard for frequent travelers from Syracuse to sign up. In March, Schumer wrote to TSA Acting Administrator Melvin Carraway to urge the TSA to establish this Pre-Check center at Syracuse Airport to expedite security lines and avoid forcing travelers to drive to the Oswego location in order to sign up for the program. In May, Schumer announced that the TSA had officially agreed to bring the TSA Pre-Check center to Syracuse, following Schumer’s call.
Schumer said with nearly 145,000 residents living in Syracuse, and most using Syracuse Hancock International Airport as their preferred airport, this soon-to-be-open enrollment center will help reduce long wait times at security checkpoints. TSA Pre-Check is an expedited, risk-based screening program that allows select flyers to pass through airport security more quickly after they enroll in the program and pass a background check. Approved passengers are able to utilize special TSA Pre-Check lanes at security, and they are allowed to leave on their shoes, keep their laptop in its case, and keep liquids and gels in their carry-on bag. TSA Pre-Check helps to make the security screening process more efficient for passengers, improving their travel experience while still enabling TSA to provide effective levels of security. As of September 2013, more than 15 million passengers have experienced TSA Pre-Check since it launched in October 2011.
Once approved for TSA Pre-Check, passengers receive a known traveler number and have the opportunity to utilize special lanes at security checkpoints at approximately 150 participating airports and on 12 major airlines: Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, One Jet, Southwest Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, United Airlines, Virgin America, and WestJet.
Schumer has long fought to bring affordable air travel to Upstate New York and the Syracuse area in particular. Specifically, Schumer fought to bring new airlines and routes to Upstate New York cities, including JetBlue in Syracuse, Buffalo and Albany as well as Southwest to Albany. In September, Schumer announced that JetBlue Airlines made the decision to expand its presence in the Syracuse region by resuming its non-stop service to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Schumer said that bringing in low-cost air carriers and additional flights across Upstate New York increases both competition and access to flights for residents. Schumer also said this has the potential to increase tourism, and boost the economy by attracting local restaurants, hotels, shops and more to areas like Syracuse and Central New York. Starting January 13, 2016, flights from Syracuse Hancock International Airport to Fort Lauderdale will resume daily, and continue through Sunday, May 1, 2016, following their initial launch.
A copy of Schumer’s initial letter to TSA Acting Administrator Melvin Carraway is available below:
Dear Acting Administrator Carraway:
I write to urge you to establish a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Pre-Check Enrollment Center at the Syracuse Hancock International Airport. Establishing an enrollment center in Syracuse would make it much easier for residents of Syracuse and the surrounding towns to take advantage of the Pre-Check program, which provides expedited security screening for low-risk travelers. Having an enrollment center at the Syracuse Airport would help make flying much more convenient for many Central New Yorkers, reducing wait times without compromising security.
TSA Pre-Check is an expedited, risk-based screening program that allows select flyers to pass through airport security more quickly after they enroll in the program and pass a background check. Approved passengers are able to utilize special TSA Pre-Check lanes at security, and they are allowed to leave on their shoes, keep their laptop in its case, and keep liquids and gels in their carry-on bag. TSA Pre-Check helps to make the security screening process more efficient for passengers, improving their travel experience while still enabling TSA to provide effective levels of security.
Syracuse Hancock International Airport is an ideal place for a TSA Pre-Check Enrollment Center. In 2014, the airport saw nearly one million total outgoing enplanements. Nearly 145,000 residents live in Syracuse, and the closest current enrollment center is a forty minute drive away. A TSA Pre-Check Enrollment Center would help many residents of the Syracuse area pass through security more quickly, shortening wait times while maintaining effective levels of safety and security.
Thank you for your consideration of this request. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or my staff.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Schumer
United States Senator
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