Airport Check-in: Boston to get screening security upgrade
— -- ROUTE NEWS
Boston Logan will spend $30 million to consolidate security checkpoints and add more lanes in Terminal C, a project aimed at speeding up passenger screening.
Terminal C, which houses United Airlines, JetBlue, Midwest Airlines and Cape Air, has two checkpoints with 10 lanes that process about 4 million passengers a year.
"During peak travel periods, the wait times can reach 30 minutes," Logan spokesman Richard Walsh says. The airport will add four security lanes and hopes to cut down the maximum wait time to 15 minutes.
Boston Logan also plans to link United's concourse to the gate areas used by JetBlue and other smaller carriers, which would let transferring passengers proceed directly to other airlines' gates in the terminal without exiting the secured area. Officials hope to finish the project by the end of 2010.
Once the project is completed, the existing checkpoint areas will be reorganized to accommodate more retail and food shops.
•A councilman in Kansas City has sponsored a resolution to begin privatizing Kansas City International. The Kansas City Star reports that the resolution from the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee was sent "without recommendation," which suggests that there isn't a lot of enthusiasm for the idea. The full council will vote later this week.
Privatizing the airport would bring an initial financial windfall, but the controlling public entity would relinquish operational control and future revenue.
Chicago's plan to privatize Midway has been stalled in recent weeks because of private investors' inability to secure sufficient funding.
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•Southwest Airlines says its new service from Boston Logan will begin on Aug. 16. The discount carrier will offer 10 daily non-stop flights: five to Chicago Midway and five to Baltimore/Washington.
•AeroMexico is returning to New Orleans Louis Armstrong for the first time since ending service at the airport after Hurricane Katrina. Beginning July 6, the Mexican carrier will offer non-stops Monday through Saturday to Mexico City that will continue on to San Pedro Sula, Honduras. AeroMexico will use 50-seat regional jets.
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