OREANDA-NEWS. During his visit with airport officials and community leaders at Miami International Airport today, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator John S. Pistole announced the first-ever dedicated TSA Prev(tm) lane for passengers connecting from international flights.

The new TSA Prev(tm) lane, located at the exit of MIA's North Terminal international arrivals facility, allows selected passengers after entering the country to experience expedited screening by the TSA for their connecting flight without removing shoes, belts, jackets, computers or liquids. The new TSA Prev(tm) lane is an added benefit at North Terminal's dedicated eight-lane security checkpoint for international arrivals - a convenience not found at most U.S. airports.

"As the Transportation Security Administration continues to move forward with risk-based intelligence-driven security initiatives, the most impactful initiative continues to be TSA Prev(tm)," said Pistole. "Our agency is pleased to roll out this first-of-its-kind TSA Prev(tm) lane in Miami."

MIA is the busiest U.S. airport for international flights and the second-busiest for international passengers. With North Terminal handling more than 70 percent of MIA's arrivals, the landmark TSA Prev(tm) lane will reduce checkpoint wait times for thousands of travelers daily who connect through the Gateway of the Americas.

Before making the announcement to dozens of MIA business partners, Pistole met with Miami-Dade Aviation Director Emilio T. Gonzalez to discuss the new TSA Prev(tm) lane and other TSA risk-based security initiatives planned for 2014.

"I greatly appreciate Administrator Pistole for choosing to implement this first-of-its-kind concept at MIA, and for recognizing the unique challenges we face as one of the fastest-growing U.S. airports for international passengers," said Gonzalez. "We continue to explore new initiatives with the TSA to further enhance the screening process for all our travelers."