For the first time, some air travelers will soon be able to complete the Transportation Security Administration screening process at a remote location, before arriving at the airport.
Launching Monday, June 1, the experimental program is for passengers flying out of Boston Logan International Airport. Instead of having to go through the TSA checkpoint at Logan, travelers get screened at a "remote terminal" in Framingham, Massachusetts, a city about 25 miles to the west.
After checking in, checking any baggage if need be, and completing the security screening, passengers then board a shuttle bus and are driven to the airport, where they are deposited beyond the security checkpoint and sent toward their departure gates.
To start, the service will only be available for customers catching Delta Air Lines or JetBlue flights from 5:30am to 4pm—"though there are plans to expand access to additional airlines in the future," according to Massport, the agency that operates the airport.
The service costs $9 per person one way. Reservations are open now.
The purpose of the program is to streamline the airport-going experience and improve congestion.
"Imagine arriving at the airport having already checked in and cleared security and then being dropped off just steps from your gate," says Massport CEO Rich Davey in a statement. "This is the kind of stress-free process we’re working to make a reality for everyone.”
Though the Massachusetts facility will be the only one of its kind when it opens next month, additional off-site TSA screening locations in other parts of the country could soon be on the way.
The Wall Street Journal reports that a total of eight such sites have been authorized.
For more information on Boston Logan's pilot program or to buy tickets for the off-site TSA screening service, go to Massport.com.