Trade group Airlines for America has urged Congress to return $13 billion in TSA fees which it said has been diverted since 2013 to pay off a funding deficit.
It is calling for the fees to be used expressly for their intended purpose – to pay for resources to ensure there are sufficient TSA agents where there are needed most to cut down security wait times.
In a letter to Sen. Dick Durbin A4A CEO Nicholas E. Calio noted the diverting of funds ‘has come home to roost. If Congress wanted to take constructive and well-justified action, it would immediately pass legislation putting that money, paid by airline passengers, where it belongs.’
The money referred to by Calio is part of the so-called 9/11 fund.
A4A said the current problems stem from the department’s failure to deploy sufficient resources at locations where they are most needed based on passenger volume.
Calio says more of the TSA budget is spent on non-aviation related operations.
TSA has access to advance data on expected passenger volume in a given airport location and the trade group urged managers to use this to better match staffing levels as needed.
While A4A is unsurprisingly against the waiving of bag fees to help speed up screening times, it did propose waiving enrollment fees for PreCheck expidited screening.
