More airports calling out TSA for long lines
"...Already, Atlanta’s airport – the busiest in the world – publicly called out the agency last month for persistently long lines that it blamed primarily on staffing levels.
Now, some of the nation’s other top airports are joining the fray.
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport became one of the latest.
The airport warned fliers on Wednesday via Twitter they should “expect longer wait times” because TSA “staffing (is) not keeping pace (with) passenger volumes.”
...Jeffrey Hamiel, CEO of the agency that operates MSP, fired off a letter to TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger decrying the TSA’s staffing.
In his letter, Hamiel said passenger volume at MSP has jumped more than 10% since 2011 while the number of TSA screeners nationwide had dropped about 15% over that period.
...However, AP notes the TSA may have its hands tied when it comes to addressing staffing levels.
The news agency writes “Congress has capped the number of uniformed screeners for budgetary reasons: About 42,800 screeners nationwide now, compared with a peak of about 50,000 a few years ago, (Dankers) said.”
Against that backdrop, the TSA has began conducting more thorough inspections “of people and carry-on luggage since last summer's revelation of startling security gaps at U.S. airports,” AP writes.
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