TSA "Families on the Fly" Lanes: Where They Run and How They Work

Key Points

  • The TSA launched "Families on the Fly," a network of dedicated security lanes for parents traveling with children 12 and under, on July 17, 2025.
  • Lanes are now operating at roughly a dozen US airports, including Orlando, Charlotte, Honolulu, Tampa, Salt Lake City, and several smaller hubs.
  • Families with TSA PreCheck can use either lane; CLEAR is not a substitute, but it is the enrollment partner running a $15 buy-one-get-one PreCheck promotion tied to the program.

TL;DR

The TSA's "Families on the Fly" program runs dedicated security lanes for parents with kids 12 and under at about a dozen US airports, with more rollouts pending. PreCheck still works as before.

What the program is, and when it launched

The Transportation Security Administration launched "Families on the Fly" on July 17, 2025, in a campaign announced by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. According to the TSA's July 18 press release, the program creates dedicated security lanes for adults traveling with children 12 and under, plus a buy-one-get-one $15 discount on TSA PreCheck enrollment when two family members sign up together through CLEAR or another approved provider.

The pitch is operational, not regulatory. Standard 3-1-1 liquid rules still apply, but the long-standing exemptions for formula, breast milk, and medically necessary liquids carry through to the family lane. The differences travelers actually notice are physical: wider belts for loading multiple bags at once, larger reassembly tables, and officers cross-trained on family screening.

Which airports launched first

Orlando International (MCO) and Charlotte-Douglas (CLT) were the first two airports operating the dedicated lane when DHS announced the program in July 2025. Honolulu (HNL) followed on August 13, Rhode Island's T.F. Green (PVD) on August 20, and Tampa International (TPA) on August 26, according to TSA press releases issued out of each airport. Salt Lake City (SLC) joined on September 10.

As of April 2026, the TSA's program page lists dedicated family lanes at:

  • Orlando International (MCO)
  • Tampa International (TPA)
  • Jacksonville International (JAX)
  • Charlotte-Douglas International (CLT)
  • John Wayne Airport, Orange County (SNA)
  • Daniel K. Inouye International, Honolulu (HNL)
  • Charleston International (CHS)
  • Will Rogers World Airport, Oklahoma City (OKC)
  • Luis Muñoz Marín International, San Juan (SJU)
  • T.F. Green International, Providence (PVD)
  • Salt Lake City International (SLC)

TSA has said additional airports will be added on a rolling basis but has not published a public timetable for the next round.

Eligibility: 12 and under

The age cap is 12 and under for the accompanied child; the adult traveling with the child does not need to be a parent. Grandparents, aunts and uncles, and single guardians all qualify. Families with infants traveling with strollers, car seats, or boosters are explicitly covered; those items go through the X-ray and don't have to be folded down before screening.

What changes for the traveler

The benefit is mostly about throughput and predictability. The dedicated queue is shorter than the standard line at peak periods, the belt area accommodates multiple bags loaded simultaneously, and officers are trained to walk parents through removing electronics and processing infant feeding supplies without slowing the line. Pat-downs, when needed, can be requested in a private area with the family kept together.

Liquid rules in the family lane are not different from any other lane. Formula, breast milk, and toddler drinks beyond 3.4 ounces are allowed in carry-ons; that rule predates the program and applies at every checkpoint nationwide. The distinction is procedural: the family lane officers expect to see those items and have the testing equipment ready.

How it interacts with PreCheck and CLEAR

Families with TSA PreCheck face a choice rather than a conflict. Children 12 and under can use the PreCheck lane free with a PreCheck-enrolled adult under existing rules, and that hasn't changed. The new family lane is an additional option, useful when the PreCheck queue is long or when the family has bulky equipment that screens faster on the wider family belts.

CLEAR is a separate program. CLEAR members do not access the family lane through CLEAR; they use the standard CLEAR-to-PreCheck or CLEAR-to-standard handoff. CLEAR's role in "Families on the Fly" is as the enrollment provider for the $15 buy-one-get-one PreCheck discount, confirmed in a CLEAR press release tied to the campaign launch.

Status as of April 2026

The program is operational, not pilot. TSA has stopped describing it as a trial in its press materials and has issued individual launch announcements for each new airport, indicating a steady-state rollout. Eleven airports are confirmed operating dedicated family lanes; expansion continues without a published list of next sites. Travelers flying through any of the airports above can plan on the family lane being available during normal checkpoint hours, though TSA has not committed to 24-hour operation at every site.

The honest read: this is a meaningful operational change at the airports where it runs, and a non-event at airports where it doesn't. If you fly through Orlando, Charlotte, Honolulu, Tampa, or any other listed airport with kids, the lane is worth using. If you fly through a major hub that isn't on the list yet, plan as you would have a year ago and watch for a future TSA announcement.

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