Passengers taking advantage of cheap airplane tickets or cheap vacation packages can travel a little easier knowing that President Obamas proposed budget for fiscal year 2011 includes funding for additional airport scanners and air marshals. Further good news is that in this budget there are no references to any new airline passenger fees to pay for this additional security.
These fees were referred to and footnoted in the fiscal 2010 budget, though the administration never released any details. Industry experts were concerned that any increase in passenger fees or taxes to pay for additional security measures could negatively impact future air travel.
In the 2011 budget Obama is requesting almost $215 million for Homeland Security counterterrorism programs, including 500 more imaging machines at airport checkpoints. If this request is approved by Congress, these machines will be in addition to the 500 machines that will be deployed throughout this year.
Additional security requests were made for the following initiatives:
$85 million for more federal air marshals on international flights.
$71 million for airport canine patrols
$374 million for systems to detect explosives in checked luggage
The financial future of the airlines is heavily dependent on airline passengers being convinced that it is safe to fly. Only by our government constantly changing its security strategies and initiatives can it hope to keep its citizens safe.