MADISON COUNTY, Tenn. — The TSA comes back to McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport.

Passengers flying out of the airport can have their luggage checked, go through a security checkpoint, x-ray machines, and metal detector.

The TSA will have a permanent staff of eight at the airport to cover all shifts.

After, the passengers can wait in the staging area to board their flight.

This allows passengers to avoid having to go through TSA security again at the larger airports they fly from to their end destination.

“It’s going to be an economic shot in the arm for the whole community that’s going to affect housing, it’s going to affect culture, the restaurant scene, retail, good business for everybody,” said Southern Airways Chief Commercial Officer Mark Cestari.

“This airport is double digits ahead of the best year we ever had here, and the best year was 2019,” said Jackson-Madison County Airport Authority Executive Director Steve Smith.

Airport leaders say becoming more accessible to passenger flights increases the growth for the West Tennessee area.

“We want to commit to investing in this community, investing in this airport. TSA is the first step,” said Madison County Mayor A.J. Massey.

“So, just like almost 450 airports across the country, passengers are going to go through that same screening process for their person, their carry on bags, as well as their checked bags,” said Kevin McCarthy, Deputy Federal Security Director for Tennessee.

Leaders say this also makes McKellar-Sipes a great choice for flying out of, due to the free parking and quick time to get through security.

Click here for more information on flying out of McKellar-Sipes or the addition of TSA.

For more news in the Jackson area, click here.