Triple threat? Durbin, Kirk, Emanuel take on TSA over airport security lines
First came U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin's promise of four more drug-sniffing dogs and 58 extra security officers to reduce record delays at security checkpoints at Midway and O'Hare International airports.
Then Sen. Mark Kirk upped the ante, calling for Transportation Security Administration Administrator Peter Neffenger to resign if he couldn't speed up lines caused by staffing shortages.
Finally, Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced he'd exacted a commitment from Neffenger and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh C. Johnson to shift 100 TSA officers from part-time to full-time to reduce wait times.
It was a busy Tuesday for elected officials who've received an earful from passengers frustrated by delayed and lost flights.
The push from federal and local lawmakers should bring fliers some relief as the summer travel season looms.
Emanuel said nearly 250 extra TSA officers should be at Chicago airports by mid-August and more morning shifts are being added for screeners. A team of organizational experts arrived Tuesday to evaluate the airports and improve operations to move people through lines faster, he said.
Durbin also called on airlines to waive fees for checked bags during peak travel times. "Airlines must also encourage more travelers to check bags instead of hauling them through the main security lines," he said.
American Airlines said on Monday it was hiring extra staff to assist TSA officers at O'Hare's Terminal Three. On Sunday, wait times in security lines surpassed 2½ hours, spokeswoman Leslie Scott said. The carrier also was forced to hold 30 flights Sunday to allow delayed passengers to board.
Last week, about 795 passengers missed flights at O'Hare because of lengthy waits, and that number totaled more than 4,500 people as of February.
The TSA has reduced its screeners by about 10 percent, or 4,622 people, in the last three years in hopes passengers would sign up for PreCheck, a program that expedites security steps for preapproved travelers. But fliers aren't rushing to enroll and the agency is also losing about 100 employees a week through attrition.
Durbin said he requested Johnson to expedite enrollment for PreCheck.