The Transportation Security Administration, which has a history of long lines and system failures at peak travel times, says it's confident that won't happen this summer.
TSA has been adding new equipment, including more automated bin returns, and has been experimenting with 3D scanners that can rotate a bag's image without having to open the bag, as well as changing some of the screening routines.
Some of the changes seem paradoxical, such as removing more electronics from bags, along with snacks in some cases. But TSA says that allows it to move bags through faster, because the objects being removed are among those that make it harder for the scanner to sort what's in view in the bag.
Between 2.2 and 2.3 million passengers a day go through screening on a normal day, a figure that's been growing about 4% a year, but TSA anticipates higher volumes over the summer, especially around holidays. There may even be days that break the one-day record of 2.7 million who flew on the Sunday after Thanksgiving in 2004.
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