SYRACUSE, N.Y. –If travelers think that that the Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR) terminal seems crowded, their perception is accurate. March was the fifth busiest month for the number of passengers screened at the airport’s Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint since 2005.
TSA officers screened 140,790 individuals at the airport security checkpoint last month. Not only was it the fifth busiest month ever for screening of passengers, but it was the most passengers screened during the month of March since 2005, when 126,319 people were screened.
“So far this year, the passenger volume coming through our security checkpoint has been the busiest that we have seen in about 20 years,” said Bart R. Johnson, TSA’s Federal Security Director for Upstate New York. “Our officers remain focused on the mission. Additionally, we are appreciative of travelers who arrive at the checkpoint prepared to go through the screening process.”
Top Five busiest months at SYR
| Rank | Month | TSA checkpoint volume |
| 1 | October 2023 | 148,474 |
| 2 | August 2023 | 146,333 |
| 3 | July 2023 | 143,001 |
| 4 | July 2005 | 142,937 |
| 5 | March 2024 | 140,790 |
A busier checkpoint is exactly why travelers should plan to arrive at the terminal well before their flight. More travelers means that it will take just a little longer to park a car, return a rental car, check bags and all of that is before getting to the security line.
“As SYR traffic swells to unprecedented levels, we have an even deeper appreciation for the vital role our federal partners at TSA play in ensuring the security of the National Airspace System,” said Syracuse Regional Airport Authority (SRAA) Executive Director Jason Terreri. “To ensure the best customer experience possible, travelers should plan to arrive to the airport two hours prior to their scheduled departure.”
To help ensure a smooth security experience, travelers need to come to the checkpoint prepared to go through the security screening process. That means to have ID and boarding pass out and ready for the travel document checker. It means placing items from pockets into carry-on bags while in the security line. And it means ensuring that you do not have any prohibited items among your carry-on items.
Unsure if an item should be packed in a carry-on bag, checked bag, either or neither? Download the free myTSA app, which has a handy “What can I bring?” feature that allows you to type in the item to find out if it can fly. Or ask on Twitter or Facebook Messenger at @AskTSA. Travelers may send a question by texting “Travel” to AskTSA (275-872).
Travelers can also enroll in the TSA PreCheck® program, an expedited screening program enabling low-risk travelers to enjoy a secure and efficient screening experience at more than 200 U.S. state and territory airports. TSA PreCheck passengers travel with ease and may keep their shoes, belts and light jackets on and are not required to remove laptops, 3-1-1 liquids and food items from their carry-on bags at the checkpoint. About 99 percent of TSA PreCheck passengers wait less than 10 minutes in dedicated lanes at airport checkpoints nationwide.
A TSA PreCheck enrollment center is conveniently located on the ground floor/Level 1 of the SYR terminal near entrance A.
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