"Pensacola airport expedites security"

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Airport expedites security
By Carlton Proctor
The Pensacola (FL) News Journal


Pensacola Regional Airport passengers hopefully will soon have cause to
rejoice. Measures are being taken to speed up baggage handling and security
screening.

Tonight, the Transportation Security Administration will begin installing a
new system to screen checked bags for explosives. All checked bags will pass
through the equipment, which means that passengers no longer will have to
lift their bags up on detection tables for manual inspection. Instead, they
will simply hand them to TSA agents and then go to the second-floor
passenger screening area.

"It's a much speeded-up process," said Steve Earnest, the TSA's federal
security director for the Pensacola area. "During the installation process
it might get a little crowded in the ticket lobby, but we will try to
minimize any inconvenience to passengers."

The new detection system, which should be operational by this weekend, will
lessen the time passengers have to remain in the downstairs ticket lobby,
Earnest said.

Citing security concerns, Earnest would not reveal the equipment's cost,
saying only: "It's costly. But over a period of time it should save money."

In addition to the new baggage security system, the TSA also plans to begin
opening a third line at the second-floor screening area to help speed
passenger processing at peak times.

The third security lane will be put in place between 4:30 and 9 a.m., when
the longest lines usually form.

 Do you have an opinion about this story?
Share it with other readers in our CAA Discussion Forums

http://www.californiaaviation.org/dcfp/dcboard.php


*****************************************