TSA To Approve Private Airport Screening Companies

NOVEMBER 10, 2004 -- The Transportation Security Administration has announced that is will allow airports to employ private screening companies, even though the Department of Homeland Security in the past two months has made public several reports describing training and performance inconsistencies among airport screeners. Travel management companies have noted unevenness among screeners and fear the move makes way for an even more erratic airport security screening process.

"As of Nov. 19, airports can apply to TSA to opt out if they express interest in returning to private screeners," a TSA spokesperson said. "They would need to apply to TSA to do so, because any private contractor would have to meet TSA standards and TSA would manage the contracts."

TSA would try to limit inconsistencies and would retain oversight of all screeners. "While the screener might be employed by a private entity," a spokesperson said, "TSA would still have management oversight and the screeners would still need to be trained to TSA standards."

However, training and testing problems continue within TSA and among its screeners, according to a report released last month. The report looked both at training methods for passenger screeners and checked baggage screeners, noting less-than-competent classroom and on-the-job training for both groups. Of the 14 criteria by which the DHS judged passenger screening training, only three were met, said the report. The results were even worse for checked-baggage screeners, with only one training criterion consistently met.

NBTA in March released a survey of 150 travel managers, 70 percent of whom said there were "inconsistencies" in security procedures at major airports. Half reported they are concerned about "inefficiencies at security checkpoints and 'observable gaps' in aviation security," NBTA said.
 

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