Aviation

Pittsburgh Airport Will Let You Go Through Security Without a Ticket

Passengers want to accompany friends and family to the gate. Airports want more people shopping and dining, they earn a percentage of the revenue at all the merchants at the airport. And by the way airlines usually share in this revenue, too.

The TSA wants to limit the number of people going through security. They also want to limit the bags they have to screen at the checkpoint. The TSA is the government, so until now they’ve gotten to decide.

Airlines have had some leeway, in some cases issuing passes for members of their club lounge programs to access meeting rooms even when not traveling. But even that’s been limited. I’ve certainly gone airside when not flying for airline events and even for some community meetings.

But most people have to buy a refundable ticket, go through security, and refund the ticket. That’s no longer necessary though in Pittsburgh.

Effective September 5 you won’t need to be flying same day in order to clear security at Pittsburgh International Airport between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday “with the possibility of additional hours and weekend days in coming months.”

The airport pressed the TSA “for years” to accomplish this. Here’s how it will work.

• Check-in on the departures/ticketing level with a valid ID

• They run you against the No Fly List

• You get a stamped “myPITpass” instead of a boarding pass, valid to go through security same day

So you’re probably not going to go to the airport just for the restaurants and most people probably won’t know about this, but it will mean incremental revenue for businesses and the airport, and convenience for customers.

On the other hand it could increase crowding in the Admirals Club from people looking to leverage their membership for free rail drinks more often throughout the year.

There’s literally zero security tradeoff, the only concern is long lines from a badly managed TSA, but they’re starting off with limited hours. It will be interesting to see if other airports can push through the hurdles and accomplish something similar. It does go to show, though, if you want social change in airport security it needs to be driven by someone with an economic interest.

Aviation

Lost Tool Found in Qantas A380 After 34 Flights

An Australian Transportation Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation recently revealed that a Qantas A380 operated 34 flights with a 1.25-meter nylon tool lodged in one of its engines.

This turning tool, used during borescope inspections to rotate the intermediate-pressure compressor, was left behind during scheduled maintenance at Los Angeles on December 6, 2023. It remained inside the engine until it was discovered by maintenance staff during a subsequent check at Los Angeles on January 1, 2024.

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The ATSB report highlights two critical lapses. First, maintenance engineers failed to notice the tool during final checks for foreign objects after the borescope inspection. Second, the lost tool procedure was not activated when the tool was identified as missing.

The certifying engineer ultimately cleared the aircraft for service without accounting for the misplaced tool. During the time qantas films the tool was inside, the A380 completed 34 flight cycles, accumulating nearly 294 hours without any noticeable effect on engine performance.

Although the tool was deformed by high-energy airflow within the engine, there was no reported damage to the engine itself. ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell commented.

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“This incident underscores the importance of following established maintenance protocols. Engineers missed the tool during foreign object checks, and the required lost tool procedure wasn’t started after realizing the tool was missing.”

Following the investigation, the airline issued a safety directive, urging all engineering and tool storage teams to adhere strictly to these protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future.

A qantas spokesperson stated, “While the tool didn’t impact engine performance, we take this incident very seriously. It is critical to follow the correct lost tool procedures.”