The Checkpoint Has Changed: What Airports Need to Know After FTE Global 2026

Passenger demand is growing. Checkpoint capacity is not.

ACI World projects global passenger traffic will double by 2045. Limited space, constrained budgets and staffing, and slow technology deployment make it challenging for airports to accommodate growing crowds.

Airports cannot simply build their way out of the problem. They need to get more from existing infrastructure and resources while deploying proven improvements faster.

That challenge was at the center of Synect's FTE Global 2026 panel, “The Checkpoint Has Changed: Horizon 25, Public-Private Partnerships and the Future of Airport Security.”

Organized by Synect and moderated by Wendy Reiter of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the conversation brought together LeeAnn Levesque of Analogic, Jason Hausner of Delta Air Lines, Trey Huelskamp of VMD Corp., and Yahav Ran, CEO of Synect.

Their perspectives differed, but they pointed toward the same conclusion: increasing checkpoint throughput will require the aviation industry to move faster together.

Here's what airports, stakeholders, and partners need to know.

Airports Need a Clearer Path Forward

Wendy Reiter, Managing Director at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, opened the discussion by putting the challenge into perspective.

As Reiter said, the airport still operates without CT screening equipment despite growing demand. New technology solutions may be able to help, but with 450 airports under TSA’s purview, deploying them can be a slow, resource-intensive process.

That makes clarity around technology, partnerships, and strategy increasingly important, as Reiter emphasized:

"Without the right technology, our checkpoints will become our limiting factor... That's why this conversation matters to me. That's why it matters to all of us. We need clarity on what Horizon 25 is. We need to understand what technology companies are developing, what carriers are experiencing, and where TSA priority really is going to lie.”

Get More from Screening Technology

For LeeAnn Levesque, VP of Business Development at Analogic, one of the greatest opportunities is making the most of the technology that's already poised to enter checkpoints:

"...great news, passenger traffic is increasing and it's going to continue to increase, but not without impacts. You have constrained space. You don't want to add more space. You don't want to add more people. So how do you solve for that? Analogic's part of the solution is in CT technology... We're going to add AI algorithms, software to improve capacity, velocity, throughput, enhance passenger experiences.”

She also encouraged airports to think of screening equipment as more than standalone machines. Checkpoints generate information that could become more useful when connected with airport, airline, and passenger systems.

That opportunity depends on deployment speed. Levesque highlighted efforts to harmonize technology certifications across markets as one way to reduce the time and expense of bringing proven equipment into operation.

The opportunity isn't simply to invent or add more technology. It's to make existing solutions more useful and easier to deploy.

Communication is Checkpoint Infrastructure

Synect's CEO, Yahav Ran, focused on the importance of creating positive checkpoint experiences.

As airports discuss checkpoint enhancements, the core issue they must address is the passenger experience. How long will they wait for screening? How will passengers feel while they're waiting? What does that mean for their airport experience?

Synect's solutions are focused on answering those questions and helping passengers move forward. One passenger hesitating for a few seconds may not seem significant. Multiply that hesitation across thousands or millions of travelers, and those seconds become an operational challenge.

Strong communication is key to reclaiming that time. When passengers are prepared for screening, they move through the checkpoint faster and more easily. As Yahav explained:

“An educated passenger is a prepared passenger, and a prepared passenger is one of the best throughput tools that we have today.”

Digital communication can begin preparing travelers before they reach divestment while reducing repetitive verbal instructions for frontline employees. Unlike static communication, it can also change as conditions change. Airports can prepare different messaging for normal operations, high-volume travel periods, major events, or emergencies and deploy it when needed. It creates a calmer checkpoint and smoother operations, improving the experience for everyone.

Proven communication technology can scale quickly, as Ran’s shared examples from this summer’s Freedom 250 rollout showed. Completed as part of the Freedom 250, LLC event produced by Event Strategies Inc., Synect, K2 Inc., Faith Group, and Saefix deployed 39 ReadySeeGo installations across 12 of the nation's busiest airports without closing checkpoints.

Airports do not have to wait for a major construction project to improve checkpoint operations. Clear, dynamic communication is a tool airports can use now to prepare passengers, support employees, and get more from the process already in place.

New Partnership Models May Help Break Bottlenecks

Technology may exist, but that doesn't mean every airport can easily access it.

Trey Huelskamp, Director of Growth at VMD Corp., outlined several barriers airports and technology providers face when moving between innovation and deployment. TSA oversees hundreds of airports, and deploying screening equipment requires significant capital. Airports may have limited visibility into when federally funded equipment will arrive, and qualification processes can take considerable time and resources.

Huelskamp argued that evolving public-private partnerships could create new paths forward.

He highlighted the evolved Screening Partnership Program (SPP) as a key opportunity for airports to create the checkpoints they need. He also discussed hybrid and off-airport screening approaches that could add capacity without expanding the footprint of existing checkpoints.

One model will fit every airport. Continued passenger growth requires more flexible ways to fund, deploy, staff, and operate checkpoint capacity.

Capacity Should Match Demand

Delta Air Lines' Jason Hausner, Managing Director of Passenger Facilitation, brought the conversation back to a simple equation: capacity versus demand.

As the industry explores new avenues of growth, the focus is on making the most of existing infrastructure. Hausner identified multiple ways technology can help:

"Real-time information, dynamic information, gives those customers and operators the ability to make real-time decisions. When do I need to get here?

What can I expect when I get there? Which checkpoints are busier than others?"

Better-informed passengers can also create more predictable arrival patterns, helping TSA plan for peak demand.

The Takeaway: Airports Have to Be Ready to Move Forward Together

The panel’s final discussion made a clear case for what needs to change.

Airports, airlines, TSA, and private partners need better ways to compare checkpoint performance and share lessons. Better insight into priorities, budgets, and technology roadmaps would give airports and their partners more ability to plan investments around what is coming next.

The checkpoint has changed. The next step is making sure the industry changes together.

Planning a checkpoint modernization or passenger communication program? Talk with Synect about what your airport should prioritize next.