The head of the Transportation Security Administration says progress is being made reducing TSA screening wait times after damaging headlines showing long lines in the run up to the Memorial Day holiday.
TSA administrator Peter Neffenger told a Senate Homeland Security hearing 99% of flyers endured waits of no more than 30 minutes and 93% under 15 minutes during the holiday period.
He said 93% of approved PreCheck travelers passed through checkpoints within five minutes.
Neffenger said the focus so far has been concentrated on seven of the busiest airports – New York JFK, Newark, Chicago O’Hare, Miami, Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth and Los Angeles.
"When you get stories of long wait times, it has primarily been those airports. If you can prevent problems from happening there, you don’t have problems that cascade throughout the system," he said.
Neffenger also hinted at adding automated screening systems at a dozen airports which can speed up passenger screening processing by up to 30%.
The committee was happy with progress so far but ‘insider threats’ posed by airport workers are still a big area of concern.
"We are generally satisfied with the progress they are making, which is by no means complete," said Department of Homeland Security inspector general John Roth.
Roth said there is ‘no holistic look at an airport worker who has unrestricted access to aircraft,’ and more needs to be done regarding background checks.
