Faster check-in to come to Dayton airport

Ohio airports approved for expidited security screening

Akron-Canton Airport

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport

Cleveland Hopkins International Airport

Dayton International Airport

Port Columbus International Airport

Getting aboard commerical aircraft at Dayton International Airport and Port Columbus International Airport should get a little easier for some area travelers before the end of the year.

Both airports are among the 60 additional airports that have been approved for expedited security screening, the Transportation Security Administration announced Wednesday.

Currently 40 airports are allowed to use expedited screening, including Cleveland and Cincinnati. Dayton and Columbus and the other airports will have the special security checkpoints by year’s end. Linda Hughes, spokeswoman for Dayton International, said an exact date hasn’t been indentified yet.

In the TSA program, expedited screening allows pre-approved airline travelers to wear shoes, light outerwear and belt, and keep their laptop in its case, and their approved liquids/gels bag in a carry-on, in select screening lanes.

A special bar code printed on the boarding passes of eligible passengers. When the boarding pass is scanned at a checkpoint, the passenger is directed to a special expedited screening lane.

To date, more than 15 million passengers have used what’s called “TSA Pre✓” since it launched in October 2011, the agency said.

“As TSA continues to move away from a one-size-fits-all approach to transportation security, we are looking for more opportunities to provide the most effective security in the most efficient way possible,” TSA Administrator John S. Pistole said.

Passengers who are eligible include U.S. citizens in frequent traveler programs invited by participating airlines. Also, U.S. citizens who are members of a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Trusted Traveler program and Canadian citizens who are members of CBP’s NEXUS program qualify.

Later this year TSA will launch an application program designed to allow more U.S. citizens to enroll.

Eligible passengers traveling on Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, United Airlines, US Airways and Virgin America may receive expedited screening benefits. JetBlue and Southwest are expected to begin participating, TSA said.

While many airline passengers applaud such moves, others object to changing security measures at airports and aboard airliners.

Earlier this year, for example, the TSA proposed allowing passengers to once again carry small knives aboard planes. The agency dropped the proposal after protest from flight crews and others.