The Transportation Security Administration plans early next year to eliminate the second set of screenings some passengers receive at the gate, as it moves toward streamlining the airport experience for travelers.

Undersecretary of Transportation for Security Admiral James Loy announced the plan Friday, said TSA spokeswoman Heather Rosenker. Loy hopes to begin phasing out the secondary screenings sometime during the first quarter.

“We believe that by the time that comes, the TSA will have its systems up and running, and the screenings will be obsolete and not necessary,” Rosenker said.

When Loy took over responsibility for the TSA in July, he promised to improve the security process while balancing customer service, reducing delays and fewer hassles.

Ned Homfeld, chairman of Miramar, Fla.-based Spirit Airlines, said he has been impressed with passenger screening in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Detroit where the TSA is now operating checkpoints and that the agency must realize that secondary screening is superfluous.

“I think they are doing such a good job that they are finding it’s a duplication,” Homfeld said. “I can understand it, and I’m glad to see it because it makes the travel experience more like it was prior to 9-11 from a speed standpoint but with the kind of security we need post 9-11.”