Pensacola's mayor is sick of long airport security lines. What he's doing about it

Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves is asking members of Congress to prod the federal government to do something about the long security lines at Pensacola International Airport.

Reeves sent a letter this week to seven members of Florida's congressional delegation, including senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio and Rep. Matt Gaetz, along with the chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security Mark Green, asking for assistance in getting the Transportation Security Administration to add more transportation security officers to staff the airport's security line.

"The bottom line is that PNS does not have the necessary TSA resourcing to meet demand, resulting in longer than expected wait times, missed lights and a less than effective airport operation," Reeves wrote.

The TSA upgraded equipment at the airport last year leading to long lines while the project was ongoing, but when the upgrade was complete, the long lines have persisted as the airport continues to hit record travel numbers month after month.

"Anecdotally, with four security lanes/equipment available, it is not uncommon to see queuing lines extending outside of the terminal queuing space with one or two of the security lines being manned and operated," Reeves wrote in the letter.

Reeves said the long security lines are hurting the airport's reputation and posing a potential "life-safety" issue as they queue into areas not designed for security lines and even outside the terminal building.

Reeves also noted in his letter that the TSA must report when passenger wait times exceed predetermined and reportable timelines. In 2023, the Pensacola airport was reported on the list 14 times. This year, the airport has been reported four times, outpacing last year, and the heavy summer travel season hasn't begun yet, Reeves said.

The letter also notes that the TSA advises travelers to be at the airport two hours before a flight. Many flights leave each morning at 5:15 a.m., but the TSA doesn't open its security line until 3:45 a.m., leading to an immediate surge nearly every day.

"Our airport, and its accessibility and convenience, is a huge asset to this community, and when that asset is affected, especially by things that can be controlled, we have to protect that asset," Reeves told the News Journal. "We have frustrated travelers, we have frustrated citizens, and I'm a frustrated mayor about how things have gone."

Previously: Long security lines at Pensacola International Airport will return after Blues week

The airport's passenger growth continues to break records, outpacing anything predicted in the city's airport master plan. Reeves said it's a realistic that the airport could see 3 million travelers in a terminal designed to handle half that number.

The city is working to expand the terminal but that will still take several years.

The airport posts regular updates on its Facebook page and noted on Friday that the parking lot was 94% full.

Reeves said the city will be adding another surface parking lot this year that will add 400 spaces before the holiday season.

"We're at 3,200 spaces," Reeves said. "That's how many we're supposed to have, according to our master plan, in 2032."

Reeves said that it's a testament to the explosive growth the airport has seen that more parking will still be needed.

Reeves said it's the city's job to respond to the explosive growth and improve the capacity of the airport, but the city has no control over the TSA staffing levels.

Reeves said it's one thing for delays to be caused by lack of capacity, but it's another when the full capacity is not being used.

"When we've got four machines, and there's only one or two that are operational because there's not enough staffing there, how do I explain that?" Reeves said. "I don't like standing in line at TSA, amongst our citizens, our visitors and not having a good explanation as to why these lines aren't open. If I were a citizen, I'd be asking me that too."

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola airport TSA security lines understaffed, mayor says