Analysis of the impact of passenger preparation on the throughput of security screening at airport checkpoints

Efficient passenger screening is a critical component of airport security operations, directly influencing both safety standards and the overall passenger experience. As global air traffic continues to grow, optimizing the throughput of security checkpoints while maintaining regulatory compliance has become a major operational challenge. This study investigates one often overlooked factor affecting checkpoint performance – the level of passenger preparation prior to screening. The research combines experimental and simulation-based analyses to assess how improper passenger preparation contributes to the frequency of alarms at walk-through metal detectors (WTMDs). The study focuses on a security lane operating under a free passenger flow configuration equipped with a WTMD. The results demonstrate that better passenger preparation significantly improves checkpoint throughput and overall lane capacity. This microscopic analysis, which quantifies the operational impact of passenger behavior on system performance, addresses a gap not previously covered in the literature. The findings provide practical insights for airport security managers and system designers, emphasizing the importance of targeted passenger guidance and education in enhancing checkpoint efficiency.