TSA rolls out plan for busy travel season

The Transportation Security Administration announced a four-part plan Thursday to manage what is expected to be the busiest airline travel period in the past four years.

Steve McHale, the agency's deputy director, told a House committee that airline travel would come "roaring back" this summer. But committee members sounded alarm bells that TSA lacks adequate levels of passenger and baggage screeners at many airports, causing excessive wait times, confusion, security risks and stress on workers.

"I don't think the crises taking place at the airports are rising to the level of intensity at TSA central as they should," said Rep. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga. "I'm afraid this summer that a lack of coordinated planning and commitment to standards combined with the heaviest travel we have ever had is going to cause disproportionately horrible experiences and be very damaging to TSA."

Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., added: "Passengers packed together awaiting security screening creates an even greater potential for a terrorist threat. We are doing everything in our power as a nation to protect the hundreds of fliers that might be in an airplane that would be the target of a terrorist attack while we are leaving exposed thousands of travelers on the ground, packed together awaiting their opportunity to go through our screening process."

Berkley admitted that Congress has not lived up to its obligation to provide TSA with the necessary resources to do its job. "Congress must stop shortchanging the TSA. The agency's responsibilities are enormous, and the security of the flying public rests squarely on your shoulders," she told McHale.

In 2002, Congress mandated that TSA cap its workforce at 45,000 full-time screeners, a number that some lawmakers declared was arbitrarily set and was too low. Many complained that wait times at airports in their districts were already as long as 90 minutes.

McHale said Wednesday that TSA will tell airport officials in the coming weeks how many screeners they must have to meet congressionally authorized staffing levels. Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., said he does not understand why TSA did not notify airports earlier.

The Air Transport Association estimates that airlines will carry 65 million passengers each month during this summer -- up 12 percent from last year's average.

McHale said TSA has managed past high-peak travel seasons despite what he termed "repeated dire warnings of impending gridlock."

TSA has developed an "aviation partnership support plan" for the summer that takes into account the increase in air travel from summer vacation plans as well as special events, which include the summit of G8 industrialized countries in Savannah, Georgia in June; the Democratic National Convention in Boston in late July; and the Republic National Convention in New York City in late August.

TSA has worked with the aviation industry to identify 25 focus airports that will receive special attention this summer for a variety of reasons, such as size, proximity to special events and proximity to popular summer vacation destinations.

"The focus airports may receive additional staff in positions that support the screening process, such as extra lane monitors, queue handlers and ticket checkers," McHale said. The airports and airlines would provide workers to fill nonscreener positions, while TSA would augment any shortages with staff from its headquarters or administrative offices.

To meet screening demands throughout the country, TSA will allow airport federal security directors the flexibility to require overtime, restrict leave and vacation schedules, keep checkpoints open longer on critical travel days, maximize the use of dedicated screening lanes, limit vendor and concession workers' screening to nonpeak travel periods, and conduct routine ongoing screener training during nonpeak travel times. Also, the TSA national screening force will be mobilized to go to airports "where special events will generate extraordinary traffic," McHale said.

Another aspect of TSA's summer plan is an "extensive passenger education program to help prepare summer travelers to do their part in minimizing delays when moving through our nation's airports," McHale added. For example, the program will instruct passengers on the most common issues that are encountered at checkpoints.

Isakson asserted that TSA has been reluctant to establish a national minimum standard for wait times at airports. He said he hopes to see "a commitment by TSA to a uniform standard that can be acceptable and a standard by which TSA can be held accountable."

"I am worried there is going to be a significant meltdown, probably at any number of these 25 airports," Isakson said. "TSA has got to develop a meaningful plan."

Another key part of TSA's plan is localized strategies. McHale said federal security directors will meet with airport directors, air carrier station managers and others to formulate additional guidance, recommendations and training that are tailored to local airports. TSA will review the findings and share the best practices with security directors at other airports.

McHale added that TSA will continue to work on other efforts to improve screening operations, such as developing a passenger prescreening program and a registered traveler pilot program.

The 25 airports TSA has identified are: Logan International, Boston; JFK, New York; Newark International; Philadelphia International; Cleveland Hopkins International; Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International; Indianapolis International; O'Hare International, Chicago; Washington-Dulles International; Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International; Charlotte-Douglas International; Fort Lauderdale International; Miami International; Orlando International. Dallas-Ft. Worth International; George Bush Intercontinental; Denver International; Phoenix Sky Harbor International; Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County International; General Mitchell International, Milwaukee; Seattle-Tacoma International; Los Angeles International; John Wayne Airport, Santa Ana, Calif.; McCarran International, Las Vegas; Honolulu International.