Airports are starting to take a stand against the TSA and “going private” with their security needs instead.
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Sen. Chuck Schumer called on federal officials Sunday to increase the number of security screening dogs used at New York-area airports to help reduce passenger wait times ahead of the busy summer travel season. Three explosive detection dogs, handled by TSA agents, performed an exercise during which they scanned passengers until finding a decoy placed in a passenger’s bag.
The average maximum wait time for commuters at Kennedy Airport rose 82% between March 15 and April 15 compared to the same period past year, according to Port Authority data.
“The bottom line is that these canines can take a bite out of time”, Schumer said.
The recommendation includes adding 11 more dogs to the JFK squad, doubling La Guardia’s force to four and bringing on seven more dogs at Newark Liberty International Airport.
“As the dog days of summer roll on in, airport security lines need to roll along, too”, Schumer (D-N.Y.) said.
“The patience of the flying public has reached a breaking point”, Port Authority officials wrote in the letter. That’s up from just 10 instances of prolonged waits past year.
The TSA has faced withering criticism in recent months over the spiking wait times – some of up to almost two hours – which are the most severe in recent memory.
The New York Democrat says the highly trained dogs and additional TSA workers would get travelers through the lines more quickly while improving security.
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“We encourage people to have appropriate expectations when they arrive at airports”, he said at a press conference at Reagan National Airport.
