SCHUMER CALLS FOR TSA PRE-CHECK ENROLLMENT CENTER AT SYRACUSE HANCOCK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT; CURRENTLY, LOCAL RESIDENTS WHO WANT TO ENROLL MUST TRAVEL TO OSWEGO – NEW ENROLLMENT CENTER WOULD MEAN SHORTER, MORE CONVENIENT SECURITY LINES FOR SYRACUSE TRAVELERS

TSA Pre-Check Has Been Successfully Installed at Syracuse Hancock International Airport, But In Order To Register For The Program Residents Must Travel All The Way to Oswego – Program Enables Travelers Deemed Safe To Enter Terminal With Expedited Screening

Schumer Urges TSA To Bring A Pre-Check Enrollment Center To Syracuse Hancock International Airport to Make Air Travel Easier For Syracuse Residents – Rochester & Albany Have Enrollment Centers, Syracuse Should Too

Schumer: Syracuse Residents Should Not Have To Drive 40 Minutes To Register For Pre-Check Program Already Installed at SYR

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer called on Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Acting Administrator Melvin Carraway to establish a 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. Currently, travelers who wish to register for the program must travel 40 minutes north to Oswego, to an office which is only open from 8:00am-12:00pm and 1:00pm-3:00pm Thursday and Friday. Schumer said the long drive and the difficult hours make it hard for frequent travelers from Syracuse to sign up, which Schumer said does not make any sense. Schumer noted that both Rochester & Albany have local pre-check enrollment centers, and Schumer said Syracuse should too. Having an enrollment center at the Syracuse Airport would help more Syracuse travelers take advantage of the pre-check program and create a safer, more convenient flying experience for many Central New Yorkers by reducing wait times without the risk of hampering airport security.

“Syracuse travelers should not have to drive 40 minutes up the road to register for the TSA Pre-check program, which is already installed at Syracuse Hancock International Airport. Bringing a TSA Pre-Check Enrollment Center to the airport would enable many more frequent travelers to sign up for the program, and make air travel easier for Syracuse residents and visitors, while still maintaining a high level of security,” said Senator Schumer. “People would be able to move through security quicker and the lines would be shorter. Bringing this enrollment center closer to home would really make a difference, especially for professionals who travel frequently.”

TSA Pre-Check came to Syracuse Hancock International Airport in 2013. In 2014, Syracuse Hancock International Airport served nearly one million total outgoing enplanements last year, yet the closest current enrollment center is in Oswego, a forty-minute drive away.

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 130 participating airports and on 11 major airlines: Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, United Airlines, US Airways and Virgin America. 

A copy of the letter to TSA is included 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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