TSA at Mitchell International Airport: Travel tips, policy changes

MILWAUKEE - This summer saw major updates to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) policies that impact travelers at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE) and across the country. 

"We're coming off of a really busy summer. High travel volumes, eight of TSA top ten busiest days of all time nationwide have been this summer," said Jessica Mayle, TSA Regional Spokesperson. "So a lot of passengers coming through, kind of looking ahead to the fall, looking ahead to the high travel volumes of the holiday season."

TSA policy updates

What they're saying:

Officials reviewed the new shoes-on policy, REAL ID, and TSA PreCheck enrollment benefits for military members and families in a news conference at the airport on Thursday, Sept. 25. 

"One tip I do want to tell people is that we still have shoes that alarm or that have to be searched," Mayle said. "Maybe they have a lot of metal on them. And, or they just trigger alarms when you go through. So if your shoes do set off an alarm, I'll take that. So if your shoes do set off an alarm, you may still need to remove your shoes and have it's green. So it's not a guarantee that everyone walking through every time will not have to remove their shoes."

Mayle also paid particular attention to REAL ID. 

"Overwhelming majority of passengers are in compliance. We are not seeing any operational issues associated with REAL ID enforcement," Mayle said. "So just a reminder, what that means is you need to go to your driver's license, check for that star to see if it's a REAL ID. If you don't have that, another acceptable form of ID, such as a passport also works."

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TSA officials also reminded passengers how to pack smart and avoid prohibited items, which trigger alarms that can slow down the security screening process.