Happy Monday. Huge shout out to all the new subscribers and a friendly welcome back to all the OG’s. I can never say this enough: Thank you for supporting Gate Access. Let’s get into today’s edition.

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🚨 On The Radar

🟢 Miami International Airport will break ground this summer on Concourse K, a $ 600 million expansion that adds six new gates, upgraded baggage systems, and airfield improvements as part of its $ 9 billion modernization plan. Once finished, the new concourse will help position MIA to handle up to 77 million passengers annually by 2040.

🟢 American Airlines is adding Socorro Tequila to its in-flight drink menu starting June 1st. New buy-on-board food options like a steak and pimento cheese sandwich and tray table tapas. Premium cabin snack baskets are also expanding, all part of a push to offer more variety and regional flavor in flight.

🟢 Starting May 28th, Southwest will require passengers to keep power banks visible while in use, banning their use in bags or overhead bins to reduce fire risks from lithium batteries. It’s the first U.S. airline to adopt such a policy, following several onboard incidents tied to overheating devices.

🟢 ​Orlando International Airport is launching a new facial biometric screening system with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to streamline processing for international arrivals. The Enhanced Passenger Processing program will debut on select flights this summer, aiming to reduce wait times while maintaining security.

Travelers at Harry Reid Airport aren’t thrilled to find TSA agents belting out tunes instead of scanning bags. In case you didn’t know, TSA has chorus groups all across U.S. airports. Check out the viral video below.

😳 Wild TSA Bag Checks

During routine screening, officers at Boston Logan (BOS) found a razor blade tucked into the lining of a baseball cap.

✈️ ATC Watch: The Latest Update

Newark Airport is still struggling. This latest update is so crazy, I can’t believe it’s even real.

According to reporting by the New York Post, Newark Liberty’s air traffic control hit a dangerous low, with just one fully certified controller and a trainee scheduled to manage up to 180 takeoffs and landings during peak hours.

While the FAA later confirmed that three certified controllers were eventually secured for the shift, insiders still called the situation “pure insanity” and warned that staffing at less than half the recommended 15-controller standard is flirting with disaster.

The root cause? A toxic mix of under-staffing, burnout, and a rocky transfer of operations from New York to Philadelphia last year, all culminating in delays, cancellations, and growing safety concerns.

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👀 Will TSA accept a paper Real ID?

I receive a bunch of personal travel-related questions daily, and I thought it may be helpful to publish some of them to help others who may have the same questions.

So… today I’m introducing Ask Gate Access. It’s pretty straightforward, and I’m sure it’ll provide lots of value to everyone reading. I’m also excited (and nervous) to read all the interesting questions you may have.

That said, I received this question from a Gate Access subscriber:

I answer this in my Yahoo column. However, I also want to point out that finding yourself in this situation can be really time-consuming if the TSA checkpoint is busy.

No one wants to wait in a line to wait in another line. So here’s a sneaky TSA travel tip that can potentially help you skip to the front of the TSA line at any airport.

Anyone can do this. Oh… I also received insider information about a new system coming to American Airlines that I know travelers will love.

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