Reader: TSA wait caused missed flights in Kahului | News, Sports, Jobs

A Maui News reader complained that it took two to three hours to get through Kahului Airport security checkpoints Sunday, but Transportation Security Administration officials said that the longest wait times were 75 minutes.

Larry Wolf of Spokane, Wash., was visiting the island with his family and took some family members to the airport Sunday to return home. They stood in the TSA line two to three hours at about noon, according to Wolf. The wait was so long that they missed their flight and had to rebook and pay the change fees.

Wolf will be returning to the Mainland soon and wanted to know how long to expect to wait in the TSA lines.

Maui District Airport Manager Marvin Moniz acknowledged Thursday that “staffing and reducing of overtime has hit TSA” at Kahului Airport. State Department of Transportation officials have reached out to the Maui Hotel & Lodging Association to have hotel and resort members advise visitors to go to the airport two-and-a-half to three hours early.

Airlines were going to inform passenger reservation systems to offer the same early arrival advice. Maui Visitors Bureau assistance also has been sought, Moniz said.

Ford Fuchigami, state Transportation Department director, has reached out to Hawaii’s congressional delegation for help with the TSA problem, Moniz said.

When asked about longer wait times, TSA Public Affairs Manager Nico Melendez did not acknowledge a problem and advised passengers to arrive at the airport two hours before their flights to the Mainland.

He said that the longest wait times Sunday were at about noon – about 75 minutes – “due to heavy volume of passengers, multiple property searches and significant number of family travelers.”

The time to get through security was 55 minutes around 1 p.m., he said. The wait was nearly a half-hour at 10 a.m., 25 minutes at 11 a.m. and 23 minutes at 2 p.m., Melendez said.

Passengers can do their part to reduce time in security lines. This includes bringing fewer bags to the security checkpoint and putting prohibited carry-on items, such as liquids, into their checked baggage.

Information on prohibited items may be obtained by downloading the myTSA app from iTunes or Google Play or going to the website www.tsa.gov/mobile.

“Preparation is key when going through the security checkpoint,” Melendez said. “Delays of even a few seconds per passenger multiplied by the number of passengers screened at OGG (Kahului Airport) everyday can create unnecessary slowdowns in the process.”

* Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.

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