"Ontario Airport delays inline baggage-screening system"

Friday, October 21, 2005

Ontario Airport delays baggage-screening plan
By Mason Stockstill
The Whittier (CA) Daily News
 
 
ONTARIO - Redesigns and other delays have kept a new baggage screening
system from being installed at Ontario International Airport, despite the
availability of federal grant money for the project.

The Department of Homeland Security announced a $250million grant in
September 2003 to install permanent explosives detection systems at ONT and
Los Angeles International Airport.

The Ontario project is part of the same contract to install a similar
screening system at LAX. Ontario's portion of the project will cost
$53million.

The plan was to move the screening of checked baggage behind the ticketing
counters, rather than leaving them in terminal lobbies where the bulky,
slow-moving machines cause long lines for passengers.

At the time, it was expected the projects would be completed by now. But
unanticipated design concerns have kept construction work from even
beginning.

"Basically, there was a redesign on the system," said Maria Tesoro-Fermin,
ONT spokeswoman.

Officials now expect to start construction on the project in April and
finish in August 2008.

The delay means not only will travelers continue to face crowding in the
terminal lobbies, but that the airport will incur higher security costs as
well.

Because screening checked baggage in the lobby requires more security staff,
installing a fully automated screening system can save airports millions of
dollars annually, said Theresa Coutu of InVision Technologies, a firm that
makes explosives detection systems.

"Payback on the infrastructure investment required to provide inline systems
to small hub-sized airports would be less than one year," Coutu testified at
a House Aviation Subcommittee hearing last year.

Following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Congress mandated that 100
percent of checked baggage be screened for explosives by the airports.

As a result, many airports installed detection and screening systems in
terminal lobbies to meet the Dec.31, 2002, deadline for full screening.

Those machines prompted concerns about increased wait times and crowding,
which can pose a security risk if more people are crammed into a small area.

In 2003, the Department of Homeland Security announced numerous grants to
install systems at U.S. airports where baggage would be automatically
screened as it moves along conveyor belts behind terminal counters.

Projects have already been completed at Denver International Airport,
McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Boston Logan International,
Dallas Forth Worth and Tampa International Airport.

Although ONT is behind the curve on installing those systems, travelers
interviewed Friday were not concerned about the delay.


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