KARACHI: PIA has informed its passengers about the enhanced screening procedure for passengers traveling from USA to Pakistan implemented by Transport Security Administration (TSA) at JFK Airport in New York. 
A PIA spokesman said that TSA has notified PIA about enhanced screening of Pakistani Passport Holders traveling from USA that the baggage of such passengers would go through a CTX machine, a x-ray machine for luggage that detect other unidentifiable objects as well, and the selected searches of passengers.
As of now, passengers are required to show a U.S Federal or State issued photo ID that contains Name, date of birth, gender, expiration date of ID and a tamper resistant feature in order to be allowed to go through the check point and onto their flight.
If a Pakistani passport is produced, the passenger, irrespective of age and gender will have to undergo selected screening.
He said often passengers carry baggage of different/ varying sizes which could not passed through the CTX scanning machines, resulting in manual checking of baggage by the authorities.
As the screening process consumes time, long queues are formed at the JFK airport.
PIA passengers were requested to carry baggage of the specified size/dimension with maximum length 39 inches, maximum height 19 inches, maximum width 25 inches and weight not exceeding 110 Lbs.
Any oversize baggage or carton will not be accepted by the airline i.e. PIA.
Passengers are advised further to reach JFK airport at least five hours prior to flight departure time as PIA check in counters will close 1 hour and 15 minutes before flight departure in order to maintain on time departures.
As a precautionary measure, PIA passengers traveling from Pakistan to USA are also requested to follow the new baggage instructions as same baggage rules would be applicable on their return journey. – APP
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