Travelers faced longer lines than normal at the Transportation Security Administration checkpoint at Blue Grass Airport Tuesday morning after two of the TSA screening machines broke down.
TSA spokesperson Mark Howell said it was unclear what went wrong with the machines. He said they are now working with about half the resources they usually have to screen people.
"With the reduced capability at the checkpoint, there will be some periods of the day where it will get very busy, so recommend you get to the airport two to three hours ahead of your scheduled departure time," Howell said.
Howell said the TSA is working to get technicians to Lexington to get the machines working again. In the meantime, travelers should plan for a bit of a wait.
"As we work through this, there will be some wait times that will probably exceed 30 minutes or so, especially as we get through the mid-week until those folks get there to fix the equipment," he said.
There are some things travelers can do to help.
"If you're checking bags, we recommend that you check as much as you possibly can. That will actually help us at the checkpoint in limiting the amount of items that we have to screen, which will speed things up as well," Howell said.
Howell also said the newer screening machines do not require travelers to remove items like liquids or electronics from their bags. However, he said, all bags must go into bins as they travel through the screening machines. As airline passengers navigate some turbulent times, Howell said a little kindness goes a long way.
"These guys are doing their best to make sure you get from Point A to Point B safely and they're working long hours sometimes to make sure that that happens. Another thing you can do, just to be nice, is as you go through the security checkpoint, just say thanks because that's what they're there to do, they're there to make sure you get from Point A to Point B safely," he said.
