Feds will take another look at McCarran security cuts

Jace Radke

Monday, May 5, 2003 | 9:56 a.m.

A review of a proposed cut of 149 security screeners at McCarran International Airport is a top priority of the Transportation Security Administration.

"We recognize the fact that McCarran has certain problems with wait times, and we're keenly aware of the concern expressed by Nevada's congressional delegation," said Tom Blank, TSA assistant administrator for transportation security policy. "There is room to review the findings that have been made."

Blank's statements at a Friday news conference came after Clark County Aviation Director Randy Walker and Nevada's congressional delegation expressed concern over a plan that would reduce McCarran's screeners from 983 to 834.

The cuts are part of a plan to pare 6,000 screeners from the nation's 55,600 by September. The change is a result of the TSA's proposed 2004 budget of $4.82 billion, a cut of more than $1 billion from last year.

The change could mean longer waits in security lines for those traveling through McCarran, where waits during peak travel periods are often more than an hour.

McCarran Federal Security Director Jim Blair has already provided Blank and the TSA with information that he and McCarran officials believe was not taken into account when the screening cuts were proposed.

"We wanted to make them aware of the mitigating things at McCarran that are different from other airports," Blair said. "We gave them a full picture of our staffing, so they can see where we are coming from."

One thing that Blair has provided the TSA is origin and destination passenger numbers for McCarran, or the number of passengers who actually pass through security checkpoints at the airport.

About 92 percent of McCarran's 36 million annual passengers are going through the security checkpoints for their flights, with only 8 percent of the passengers making connecting flights that don't require a trip through screening.

McCarran is behind only Los Angeles International Airport as the busiest airport in the world in terms of numbers of passengers originating or finishing a trip.

Other information that was not taken into account by the TSA was the configuration of airports and the number of gates the checkpoints serve, Blank said.

TSA Administrator retired Adm. James M. Loy has heard from Nevada's congressional delegation on the cuts and will look at the new information provided by Blair and McCarran, Blank said.

"Those airports that want to provide us with new information will be looked at again, and Admiral Loy has said that McCarran is going to be among those that are to be considered top priorities," Blank said.