Rochester International Airport has been awarded $504,700 in state funding to upgrade the secure exit lane passengers use when leaving the gate area after a flight. RST’s existing manually monitored exit will be replaced with automated doors designed to make leaving the secure area easier and more efficient while maintaining strict security requirements.
Why upgrade the exit lane?
RST’s current exit lane requires a person to be present to monitor the door and make sure no one enters the secure area through the exit. When passengers arrive, an airport staff member opens the door, allows passengers to leave and then closes it again.
That system works, but it can occasionally mean a short wait for arriving passengers if someone isn’t immediately available to staff the exit.
“Even 30 seconds can seem like an hour when you’re standing there waiting to leave the airport,” said Kurt Claussen, Deputy Airport Director.
“This is really about making the experience more convenient for passengers and relying less on someone having to physically be at the door every time people need to exit.”
With the new system, passengers will be able to exit the secure area whenever they are ready.
Technology that balances convenience and security
The new exit lane will be a self-contained automated system designed to meet Transportation Security Administration (TSA) requirements while also complying with ADA accessibility standards.
Passengers will simply move through a series of doors as they leave the secure area. The technology is designed to detect movement in the wrong direction, such as someone attempting to walk back into the secure area.
RST’s current exit lane
If the system detects a potential security issue, it can stop operation and alert airport personnel. While airport staff will still respond to alerts when needed, the system is designed to operate automatically during normal passenger use.
TSA officials say the technology will strengthen security while also improving the experience for travelers and airport employees.
“TSA is proud to support this improved exit-lane technology at Rochester International Airport, which provides a secure, safer, smoother experience for passengers and staff alike,” said TSA Minnesota Acting Federal Security Director Brian Petersen.
The technology has continued to improve in recent years, Claussen said, making automated exit lanes increasingly effective while requiring less routine human intervention.
For passengers, much of that technology will be invisible.
Investing in the RST experience
RST plans to begin work on the project later this year, with the new exit lane expected to be operational in spring or summer 2027.
The availability of state funding helped make now the right time to move forward with an improvement RST has been considering as part of its ongoing investment in airport infrastructure and the passenger experience.
The project is one more example of how RST is modernizing airport facilities to make traveling through Rochester safer, easier and more convenient.
Read about our upgrades to all-weather capabilities, runway improvements, and our general aviation ramp expansion.
