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TSA Staff Cuts Have Already Made at Least 70,000 US Travelers Miss Flights This Year

An executive for American Airlines told a congressional panel this week that security screening delays have created a nightmare scenario at US airports.
Photo by Seth Wenig/AP

More than 70,000 American Airlines customers have missed their flights this year and 40,000 checked bags failed to be loaded on scheduled flights because of airport screening delays, an executive for the airline told a US congressional panel this week.

A shortage of staff and a surge in air travelers have created a nightmare scenario for the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA), with airport wait times in places like Chicago having stretched beyond two hours.

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"To say customers are agitated is putting it mildly," Kerry Philipovitch, American Airlines senior vice president for customer experience, told a subcommittee of the House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee on Thursday.

Related: The TSA Fired its Head of Security After He Got $90,000 in Bonuses Despite Security Failures

Those 70,000 customers account for just a fraction of the 63 million trips on scheduled flights in the first four months of the year for American, the world's largest airline, but the number of missed trips is likely greater when including large US rivals like Delta, United, and Southwest.

TSA said on Wednesday that while it is taking steps to shorten lines such as hiring more full-time officers, it lacks the staffing to handle peak travel times this summer. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, who oversees the TSA, said he asked Congress on Thursday for another $28 million to boost staffing at the 20 busiest US airports.

'To say customers are agitated is putting it mildly.'

But extra travelers and fuller planes will make it harder for airlines to find empty seats to accommodate customers who miss their flights.

American wants the TSA to create a senior internal role focused on traveler concerns, Philipovitch said. The request comes days after TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger shook up TSA's management, removing the head of security operations, Kelly Hoggan.

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Hoggan, who served as head of security since 2013, landed in hot water earlier this month when the House Committee on Oversight found that he had pocketed $90,000 in bonuses during his first year on the job — despite budget cuts, regular security lapses and reported short-staffing.

Related: TSA Warns of Even Longer Lines at US Airports — But That Doesn't Mean Security Is Better

The TSA has projected it will screen 740 million people at US airports this year, some 15 percent more than in 2013 despite a 12 percent cut in its staff.

Philipovitch also recommended that TSA consider reinstating risk-based screening programs like one it canceled last year because of high-profile lapses. In the program, officers trained to detect irregular behavior pulled unsuspicious travelers randomly into "PreCheck" lanes that can process people faster, as they do not remove their shoes and other belongings.

Addressing concern raised by small airports, the Homeland Security Committee introduced a bill Thursday to let local TSA make staffing decisions, rather than wait for higher-up approval before adding or rearranging lines.

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