Denver International Airport will no longer have a 24/7 TSA security checkpoint option

Starting in early May, there will no longer be a security checkpoint open at all hours of the night at Denver International Airport.

The South Security checkpoint is currently open 24/7, but starting on May 5 the Transportation Security Administration will be closing it for two of the quietest overnight hours.

Starting on that date, no travelers will be allowed through any checkpoint and no bags will be screened from 1 a.m. to 3 a.m.

TSA spokesperson Lorie Dankers says the last flight out of the airport each day in Denver departs at 12:59 a.m. and the earliest flight is always 5 a.m. Anyone booked for one of those 5 a.m. flights should have plenty of time to get through security and to their gate, Dankers says, with the 3 a.m. start time.

The change will help the TSA manage their workforce at the airport in such a way that employees with more seniority will be able to more regularly work their preferred shift. It will also help keep passengers flowing through security during the daylight hours.

"We want to keep the maximum number of lanes open during our busiest hours," Dankers said.

Dankers said a lot of airports don't have 24-hour checkpoints.

"We're always looking at ways to make things more efficient," Dankers said.

Denver International Airport officials shared the following statement about the TSA's decision with CBS Colorado on Wednesday afternoon: 

TSA informed us that they would be making this decision as part of a staffing reallocation effort and to make their operations more efficient. Based on the TSA data that informed this decision, significant passenger impacts are not expected as there are currently no scheduled flight departures after 1am.