TSA To Address Security Wait Times, Effect For DIA Uncertain
DENVER (CBS4) - The number of passengers traveling through Denver International Airport is approaching record high marks. And with the busy summer travel season set to get started soon, the long lines sometimes being seen at the security checkpoints could become even longer.
"I go to a lot of airports, but this seems longer than most," one traveler who was waiting in a security line at DIA told CBS4 on Thursday. "It seems like there are more lanes they could open."
Denver's airport has seen its share of complaints after security wait times exceeded more than an hour in recent months. In some cases the Transportation Security Administration took the blame and claimed that they are understaffed.
"We actually have fewer TSA officers working now than we did a year ago, two years ago, three years ago. And that's because as we launched TSA PreCheck, we expected more passengers to sign up for that," TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein told CBSNewYork.com. "And so our budget request from Congress was less money for fewer officers."
The situation could change soon, though. The TSA received congressional approval this week to reallocate $34 million of its current budget to help mitigate long wait times at airports nationwide.
Part of that money will go toward hiring 768 TSA officers this month, with additional funds paying overtime for current employees. It's not yet known if any of the new officers would be assigned to DIA.
"It sounds like a lot of money, but on the other hand you've got to pay the price if you want to improve the process," another traveler told CBS4 on Thursday.
The TSA can't say for certain if more screeners will reduce wait times, but officials say passengers can also possibly improve their process by enrolling in the TSA PreCheck program.
