Will TSA Soon Be a Thing of the Past?

It’s not just passengers who are sick of TSA, add a whole airport to the list – Orlando-Sanford, a secondary airport north of Orlando which serves several European charter airlines and domestic low cost carriers. This isn’t the first time airport president Larry Dale has tried to kick TSA out of his airport, he tried two years ago but failed after TSA denied his request (did you really think they were going to “fire” themselves?).

The reason he wants them gone? To create a more customer friendly environment.  US Rep. John Micaof nearby Winter Park seems to agree with the customer service part, stating “I want to get it [TSA] out of the human resources business and back to security.”

He also stated that the agency has become an inefficient bureaucracy with too many managers.

Another reason to go to privatized security? Cost. CNN reported last year that the federal government could save $1 Billion over five years by converting TSA screeners to privately held positions.

Before you start thinking that an airport kicking TSA out is weird, think again. Sixteen airports across the country participate in TSA’sScreening Partnership Program, which allows private companies to staff checkpoints. These airports are (along with their enplanements per the year 2010, according to FAA statistics)

• San Francisco, CA – 19,359,003

• Kansas City, MO – 4,946,173

• Sioux Falls, SD – 355,939

• Rochester, NY – 1,263,965

• Tupelo, MS – 12,749

• Jackson Hole, WY – 288,325

• Key West, FL – 287,359

• Sonoma, CA – 92,778

• Roswell, NM – 38,850

• Havre City-County, MT – 901

• Lewistown, MT – 704

• Glasgow, MT – 1,630

• L.M. Clayton, MT – 464

• Sidney-Richland, MT – 3,659

• Dawson Community, MT – 427

• Frank Wiley Field, MT – 1,033

If Sanford becomes the 17^th airport to switch over from TSA’s control, it will be the 4^th largest to do so, having 553,892 enplanements per year. One thing that is important to note – of the 16 airports with private security, six of them have enplanements of under 1,050, less than what most airports see in one day! To put enplanement numbers in perspective, San Fran ranked 8^th in the country for the year 2010. US Airway’s largest hub, Charlotte, ranked 11^th.

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