US: Expecting worst, travellers find fast airport lines

Fast moving airport security lines at the start of the Memorial Day weekend could bode well for return travellers Monday. Travellers reported moving quickly through airport checkpoints Friday after authorities opened extra screening lanes and used bomb-sniffing dogs to give some passengers a break from removing their shoes. "Wow. I mean, wow," said Mike Saresky, who flew into Chicago from Philadelphia, where he breezed through airport security in 12 minutes and got to leave his shoes on. "I thought it was going to be a lot worse." The extra dogs were concentrated at the nation's largest airports, but they were not used for all screenings, meaning that many travelers still had to observe the usual procedures. But as the busy summer travel season kicked off, the federal TSA tried to offer travellers some relief after weeks of slow-moving lines blamed on an increase in the number of air travelers and a shortage of TSA security officers. A TSA spokesman said the extra dogs would remain well beyond the holiday. The TSA began deploying extra canine teams to the busiest airports months ago. While the goal was to shorten waits at larger airports, the reshuffling could also result in longer lines at airports that lost dog teams. The dogs "have the ability to screen large groups of passengers for explosives, making the removal of shoes and laptops and such unnecessary," TSA spokesman Mike England said. The agency has 900 dog teams nationwide, England said. He declined to say which airports they were sent to for the holiday weekend or how long they might stay. "This is not just for Memorial Day weekend," England said. "I wouldn't expect that it would go away any time soon."<br/>