Some would-be airline fliers are reluctant to fly these days even with good availability of cheap airplane tickets and cheap vacation packages because of concern over what they would have to face going through airport security checkpoints.
In what some reluctant fliers may greet as good news the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has once again decided to allow airports to opt out of the federal screening programs and instead apply to use private companies to oversee security checkpoints.
Currently private companies under federal oversight staff checkpoints as part of the Screening Partnership Program at 16 airports across the country, including San Francisco International, Kansas City International, and Greater Rochester International.
This past January TSA put the program on hold denying the applications of six airports looking to join, reasoning that the agency had not seen a clear or substantial advantage to expanding the program.
Since then TSA has developed a new application process that, according to TSA, provides directors and managers the opportunity to discuss the potential advantages that private screeners would provide at their airports.
The new application asks airports to explain how private screening would provide a clear and substantial advantage to TSAs security operations. TSA had made it clear that it will not expanding the Screening Partnership Program unless there is a clear advantage to do so. Six airports have been encouraged to reapply for the program.
It remains to be seen if TSA has reopened its application process merely to play lip service to those in Congress who complained when TSA previously prevented any additional airports from hiring private screeners and if any new applications have a serious chance of being approved. www.cheapfares.com