Phoenix Sky Harbor gets national recognition
May 7, 2014, 5:00 AM | Updated: 5:00 am
PHOENIX — America’s Friendliest Airport just got some official recognition.
Travel + Leisure magazine named the 20 “Best Airport Security Checkpoints,” and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport chimed in at No. 18.
Despite being 78 years old, officials have made sure to keep the airport a modern hub that has grown with the population, handling over 40 million passengers in 2012 alone.
Improvements since 2005 include shifting security lanes to allow for better traffic flow in Terminal 2, the addition of four new security lanes in Terminal 3, and a total of 19 new security lanes and a new checkpoint in Terminal 4, which handles 80 percent of the airport’s travelers.
Quite surprisingly, the Indianapolis International Airport in Indiana came in first place. T+L awarded it the honor because it was built after Sept 11, 2011, meaning it is “newer and better designed than most,” regarding security challenges. It also will be one of the two airports in the nation to offer enrollment in a TSA PreCheck program.