"El Paso Airport Setting the Standard"

Thursday, June 12, 2003

El Paso Airport Setting The Standard
KFOX-TV 14, El Paso (TX)


EL PASO -- With ground-breaking Thursday on two multi-million dollar
construction projects, El Paso International Airport could soar to new
heights as a model for moving passengers more efficiently in the
Post-September 11th world.

The airport's east and west checkpoint lanes will be consolidated into a
single checkpoint area with six lanes designed to get passengers through the
screening process much faster. The Transportation Security Administration
Security Director for El Paso, Dennis Clark told KFOX, "It'll allow us to
process people much quicker and give El Paso customers a much better
service."

The airport's Aviation Director Pat Abeln said this construction project
will create a terminal that could set new security standards. "We're going
to have an area now that fits the needs of this airport. We'll have adequate
space to allow processing of passengers much faster. We'll have more room to
allow X-ray and security equipment to be placed here, reducing time in
lines." Abeln said the airlines that serve El Paso helped design the
screening system that's been approved by the T.S.A. "The airlines know how
these checkpoints need to work, they know how they want their passengers
treated. They don't want long lines. They want us as passengers to get
through this airport as quickly as we can." The T.S.A.'s Clark added, "And
this is gonna do a lot, this project in particular to put El Paso in the
forefront of airports that have a consolidated security program."
When construction is completed in about 14 months, arriving airline
passengers will also be greeted by a sleek new look at the terminal. El
Paso's new Mayor, Joe Wardy, thinks that could help spur economic
development. "What facility tells the story of a community and the first
impression better than your airport?"

Airport managers say a less glamorous, but equally important project is the
resurfacing of pavement areas adjacent to the terminal. Abeln explained,
"The pavement rehabilitation project means that aircraft coming onto this
pavement will be safer, they won't be ingesting broken concrete into
engines."

T.S.A. Director Clark also told us, El Paso International is looked at by
many employees in his federal agency as the airport they'd most like to work
at, because of progressive management and innovative ideas.

The combined cost of the two airport construction projects is $11 million,
with $9.9 million of that being picked up by the Federal Aviation
Administration, in the form of grants.

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