Chaffetz Praises TSA Changes at Salt Lake City Airport

Statement

After a meeting with Federal Security Director Ron Malin in Utah this morning, Congressman Jason Chaffetz released the following statement:

"In response to concerns I raised on March 19 about TSA wait times at Salt Lake International Airport, TSA did a thorough review of the situation. The results of this review lent support to TSA's own analysis indicating that additional personnel are needed to provide service to an increasing number of travelers. With airport traffic up 11% this year, the TSA plans to bring on additional staff-- potentially as many as 20 Full Time Equivalents (FTE)- to meet the travel demand. I applaud this decision.

"TSA indicated in response to my March 19 request that staffing levels at the airport are down 7% compared to the first three months of 2014, but that wait times still average 20 minutes or less. This morning State Rep. Curt Oda and I met with Director Malin at the airport to discuss some of these challenges. Mr. Malin is committed to making the TSA screening operation, including TSA Pre-Check, work consistently and effectively. His commitment to keep the Pre-Check lines open during advertised hours will ensure passenger safety and preclude a repeat of unexpected line closures and delays.

"I am also pleased to learn that the TSA seeks to add dogs to the screening process in Salt Lake. Experts in the Defense Department determined that no existing technology more effectively detects explosives than a dog's nose. I stand ready to work with TSA leadership in Washington, DC to expedite efforts to incorporate more dogs in the screening process here in Salt Lake and elsewhere."

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