Airport Luggage Screening Weak, Report Says

Sept. 20, 2006 — -- A new government report is highly critical of the system for screening checked luggage for explosives, and said it would take at least $5 billion to make the necessary improvements.

The problem is the efficiency of the system. The report warned that screening machines are overwhelmed by the number of bags that need screening.

"The bottom line is this report recognizes this is a very significant problem in the aviation industry, and it needs attention sooner rather than later," said James Bennett, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.

Bennett was also on the steering committee that put together the report.

At most airports, large-baggage screeners sit in the main concourse area clogging up terminals. They also tend to be labor intensive, requiring time to lift bags on and off the screeners.

Airports and the Transportation Security Administration want to move to more in-line automated systems, which would allow baggage screeners to operate at full capacity, increasing efficiency and enhancing security.

In the days following Sept. 11, 2001, the Transportation Security Administration received a congressional mandate to set up checked-baggage screening operations at all airports by Dec. 31, 2002. Screening machines were rushed into airports. "They stuck them anywhere they could," said Bennett

"We agree that baggage systems were not set up in the most efficient manner," said Christopher White, a spokesman for the TSA.

Add that to the increase in air travelers in the last few years, which has placed even greater demands on the system. And since August, liquids have been banned from all carry-on baggage. That has increased the number of checked bags by 29 percent, according to the Air Transport Association.

"We electronically screen every piece of checked luggage," said White. That is done with the large explosive detection machines, or small hand-held trace detection devices.

The large machines can screen a certain number of bags an hour, but unless an in-line, automated system is installed, they are not operating at full capacity. Airport officials said the current process means a passenger's luggage sometimes doesn't get screened in time to get on the plane, or planes are forced to wait at the gate for late luggage to be loaded.

In spring 2006, members of the aviation industry and governmental officials met to address the problem of checked baggage. "We had participation from airports of all sizes, national and regional air carriers, financial experts from private industry, and other federal agencies, such as the FAA and DHS," said White. "The study marks a very positive step toward industry participation in the overall process for providing baggage security in the aviation market."

Right now, there is no funding mechanism to make sure these in-line systems get set up, said Bennett. "That's what this report was, to look at funding mechanisms for this." The report said that at least $5 billion is needed. It would cost Washington's Dulles International Airport $250 million alone to set up an in-line system.

"Today's report is a stinging critique of the Bush administration and Republicans in Congress, who have failed to close security gaps that could enable terrorists to slip by an airport checkpoint with bombs designed to bring down passenger planes," said Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) in a news conference today. "Republicans are nickel-and-diming homeland security while writing a blank check for the war in Iraq."

Currently, 16 full and nine partial in-line baggage systems are in place at airports around the country. Some of the major airports with such technology include those in Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Boston, San Francisco, San Diego, Tampa, and Chicago-O'Hare. Construction to install the in-line baggage systems at Chicago-Midway, and at airports in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Louisville, Ky., as well as at 22 other airports, is currently under way .

Some airports didn't wait for government help. In January 2003, John Wayne Airport installed an in-line baggage-screening system in its parking garage. The installation cost it $23.6 million.

The new report suggests a tax-credit bond. Upon approval from Congress, airports would receive bonds that they could sell to prospective buyers to fund the systems. Buyers would also receive a tax credit for their investment from the Treasury Department. This is the federal contribution in installing these systems.

It also recommends that Congress "continue federal appropriation of at least $435 million for purchase and installation of explosive detection systems, escalating annually."

David Castelveter, a spokesman for the Air Transport Association, said that "We believe that funding, like all security-related measures, should be born solely by the federal government."

Reps. Markey, Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) and Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) urged Republicans and the Bush administration to fully fund luggage screening measures in the upcoming Homeland Security Appropriations bill.

"Today's report should be a wake-up call for the Bush administration and Republicans in Congress," said Markey. "When you continue to ignore glaring loopholes such as flawed checkpoint screening equipment at airports, your policies produce homeland insecurity rather than the real security that Americans deserve."

And if there is no new money, then what? According to Bennett, "It will take 20 years to get the problem solved at the current rate."