"In-line EDS: Airports push for U.S. aid"

Monday, March 14, 2005

Airports push for U.S. aid
By Thomas Frank
USA TODAY


Airports are pushing the federal government to spend $5 billion on a new
luggage screening system that could more accurately check for bombs, speed
up passenger lines and save taxpayers billions of dollars.

But the Bush administration has cut back drastically on funding the new
system. It says airports should pay for it themselves. More than 50 airports
want to install the new equipment but haven't received federal money, even
though a government audit says the system could pay for itself in just over
a year.

"They are not without the resources to do some of these projects on their
own," says Transportation Security Administration (TSA) associate
administrator Tom Blank. He says airports could fund the projects by
borrowing money and raising fees on airlines.

The new system uses conveyor belts to carry luggage from airline check-in
counters through bomb-detection machines. At most airports now, TSA
screeners lift and carry the bags.

TSA is spending $958 million to install belt systems at nine airports. Those
systems could be paid for and generate $1.3 billion in savings over seven
years by eliminating 5,168 of 6,645 baggage screening jobs, the Government
Accountability Office says.

Conveyor belts ease airport congestion by moving bulky bomb-detection
machines out of lobbies. Also, passengers do not have to carry luggage to
the devices.

Stephen Van Beek, policy director for the Airports Council International,
says it's unfair for airports to bear the costs of putting in the new
systems.

Belt systems typically have hefty costs - up to $200 million - that the
airports say they can't afford. Airport officials want the federal
government to pay three-quarters of the cost or more.

"There's a head-in-the-sand approach to the benefits of this," Van Beek
says. He says the federal government should pay most of the cost because it
mandated luggage screening after the Sept. 11 attacks.

House aviation subcommittee Chairman John Mica, R-Fla., says the system uses
better technology and is far less labor intensive, which would eliminate the
need for thousands of screeners and improve traveler convenience. 

"It's off the charts as far as reliability," Mica says. 

TSA doesn't disagree. On March 3, TSA chief David Stone told lawmakers that
"obviously we're huge proponents" of the conveyor belt system. "You greatly
reduce manpower, reduce your (screener) injuries, it's more efficient,
effective ... security goes up."

But the TSA is seeking only $9.5 million next year for grants to build the
conveyor belts at airports. 

Mica says the $5 billion needed to fund the systems could be raised by using
three years of revenue from a $3-per-ticket increase in security fees
proposed by the Bush administration. "You could get rid of roughly 50% of
your TSA personnel," he says.


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