The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation (HDOT) has revealed plans for a new Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint at Daniel K Inouye International Airport (HNL).
The new four-lane checkpoint will be located at the makai (translated from the Hawaiian language as ‘towards the sea’) end of Terminal 1. On the mauka (‘on the mountainside of the road’) end of Terminal 1 is a ten-lane TSA checkpoint.
“This is about safety and taking care of the people of the State of Hawai‘i. Additional TSA lines at Daniel K Inouye International Airport add another layer of security to the busiest airport in our state,” said Governor Josh Green. “I congratulate TSA and Hawaiian Airlines on this new checkpoint, which also means more convenience for the travelling public, which is good, with air travel nearing pre-pandemic levels.”
Hawaiian Airlines spent nearly $14m on the checkpoint and new bathrooms which are soon to be constructed nearby. This addition comes a year and a half after the debut of the new $270m Mauka Concourse, which expanded Terminal 1 by some 230,000 sq ft.
“The completion of this project highlights how much can be accomplished when we work together for the benefit of the traveling public,” said Nanea Vasta , TSA federal security director for Hawai‘I. “The security checkpoint will provide an enhanced passenger screening experience for the travelling public to enjoy and an improved work environment for TSA security screening officers, while also supporting TSA’s mission of providing greater security effectiveness and efficiency in our screening operations.”
About 22,000 people on average pass TSA checkpoints every day at HNL. The opening of the new entry point will bring the total number of TSA checkpoints at the airport to six.
Hawai‘i Department of Transportation director Ed Sniffen said, “This will make Terminal 1 much easier to navigate. This will especially benefit our residents who often travel back and forth to Oahu from the neighbouring islands for important things like medical appointments. HDOT is thankful for the partnership we have with Hawaiian Airlines and TSA to get something important like this done to benefit the people of Hawai‘i.”
Image: Hawai‘i Department of Transportation
