Delta Air Lines plans to get more involved in the fight to cut long screening lines at major airports around the country.
Rather than simply complaining about the situation, Delta has offered to deploy workers in supporting roles to assist TSA agents at airports – at no cost to the agency.
"While I guess it is good to draw attention to the topic, I think it is much more important to do something about it than just complain about it, and that’s exactly what we are doing," Delta’s new CEO Ed Bastian said at a media briefing.
"The customers don’t distinguish security when coming through the airport between Delta and TSA. Security is something that, in our opinion, is a joint responsibility of both TSA and the airline, and we will do our share to help."
The airline will loan out employees to help with supplementary duties like handling bins and making sure lines at checkpoints run smoothly.
American Airlines also said it would offer to assist the TSA at airports.
Delta’s major hub airport Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey – which manages the New York Area’s big three airports – has threatened to deploy their own private contractor workforce on security screening lines.
‘The patience of the flying public has reached a breaking point,’ said a letter addressed to the TSA penned by Port Authority aviation department director Thomas Bosco and chief security officer Thomas Belfiore.
