Portland Airport opens improved TSA checkpoint

Portland International Airport (PDX) is scheduled to open its renovated main terminal to travelers on August 14, 2024. The $2 billion project includes a new Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint. The airport says the new checkpoint will speed up the security process. Three travelers at a time will be able to remove their shoes and empty their bags, and trash cans will be automatically returned after use. Shortly after opening, a screen will also display estimated wait times.

The Port of Portland and PDX management anticipated an increase in passenger traffic that would require modernization and expansion of the security screening facility. K2 Security Screening Group is Hoffman Skanska’s subcontractor for the new security area. When the new screening facility opens next week, K2 will enter another phase of decommissioning the used equipment, packing it up and shipping it to the TSA logistics center where it can be updated, refurbished and redeployed for use elsewhere. This phase will be completed in mid-September.

“As with all of our projects, we coordinated with the TSA headquarters staff who oversee the deployment of the security equipment,” said Gerry Phelan, K2’s senior director of capability delivery and former TSA federal security director at George Bush Intercontinental Airport. “We also relied on our relationship with the local TSA, as they are the end user of all of the equipment. Understanding the wants and needs of our TSA officers, equipping them with the latest technology, and ensuring they are trained and ready to deploy is critical.”

K2 has installed Scarabee Checkpoint Property Screening Systems (CPSS) for carry-on baggage and Rohde & Schwarz Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) passenger screening systems.

For travelers in need of a distraction, video walls above security checkpoints will display digital recreations of iconic Oregon landscapes, mixed with work by Portland native Ivan McClellan, known for his photographs of black cowboys and rodeo riders. PDX says travelers can expect to see video works from more Oregon artists in the future.

Phelan said the Hoffman Skanska team was “phenomenal” to work with and “fully engaged and aligned with the Port of Portland and PDX throughout the project,” making it a seamless project. He added that lessons learned from the PDX project were specifically related to newer technologies and their integration into security control.

“I believe PDX has set the bar high,” Phelan said of the checkpoint modernization. “It will be difficult to replicate what they have accomplished. However, I believe the continued investment of private companies and their partnership with like-minded airport authorities will lead to an increase in our nation’s security checkpoint modernizations.”

In addition to security, PDX’s main terminal project includes a new ticket lobby and pre-security public area, 13 additional restaurants and shops, and gender-neutral restrooms. The full modernization is scheduled to be completed in winter 2025/2026 and includes renovations to the north and south sides of the terminal. These areas will remain behind temporary construction walls until at least the end of 2025.

For more information about the modernization of the main terminal at Portland International Airport, click here.