CHARLOTTE — Charlotte Douglas International Airport is being considered for inclusion in a federal program that allows non-ticketed visitors to walk loved ones directly to airport gates. The initiative, known as the TSA Gateside program, is open to individuals with TSA PreCheck.
The development comes as flights restart at major Northeast airports following ground stops caused by a circuit failure at a Federal Aviation Administration facility in Philadelphia.
The Gateside program lets families and friends pass through security checkpoints to wait with departing passengers or meet arriving travelers without buying an airline ticket. Participation requires TSA PreCheck, online registration one day before arrival, and a valid ID upon arrival.
Thirteen cities currently participate in the Gateside program, which revives gate access privileges that were broadly discontinued 25 years ago following security changes after Sept. 11, 2001.
Emily Bramwell, a traveler from South Charlotte who was arriving from Boston with her three children, discussed how the program could simplify family travel. Her children flew as unaccompanied minors during the summer, a process that typically requires extra steps for parents trying to reach airport gates.
Bramwell explained that accompanying young travelers currently involves navigating additional airport procedures. “You have to plan to park. You have to plan to go to the special service desk, get a fake ticket, and you are waiting in regular security,” Bramwell said.
She noted that the current routine adds about 45 minutes to travel plans, whereas using TSA PreCheck under the Gateside program will allow her to walk directly to the gate with them. “I think it will save so much time for parents who are traveling to the airports with kids to make their flights,” Bramwell said.
Bramwell noted that her children plan to fly alone more frequently as they get older. “All of them have had an unaccompanied minor flight this summer, and as they get older, we are planning on doing it more and more,” Bramwell said, adding that she was previously unfamiliar with the initiative. “We didn’t have any idea.”
Separately, flight disruptions across major Northeast airports occurred after a circuit failure at the FAA Air Traffic Control Center in Philadelphia, which handles flight operations for Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey.
The backup system failed after a construction crew accidentally cut a Verizon fiber optic cable. The same Philadelphia facility experienced technical problems last spring that resulted in hours of flight delays at Newark Airport.
More cities are scheduled to join the Gateside program next month. However, it is not yet confirmed whether Charlotte Douglas International Airport will be included in that upcoming group or added in the following months.
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