Editorial: Airport security for sale?

Friday, April 21, 2006 | 7:19 a.m.

The Transportation Security Administration's program that allows airline passengers to pay for speedier passage through airport security checkpoints isn't catching on as federal officials had hoped.

According to USA Today, Orlando, Fla., is the only major airport that offers TSA's Registered Traveler program. That likely is because Orlando was the site of the program's pilot project last year. Four other airports are to begin offering the service this summer.

But officials at other major airports, including Las Vegas' McCarran, aren't planning to sign up or remain skeptical. Randy Walker, Clark County aviation director, told USA Today that he thinks the program creates the potential of longer lines for most passengers to provide a shorter line for a few.

The program, administered by private companies, allows passengers who have passed an extensive FBI background check to pay an annual fee for a card encrypted with their biometric data. The card allows them to bypass the usual preboarding screening process at participating airports.

Congress approved the program in hopes of creating a nationwide network to benefit travelers. But unless it catches on, it will not offer that benefit and may not be worth the fee that is expected to be $80 to $100.

Airport directors who spoke with USA Today said one problem is that the agency hasn't been clear about which security checkpoint procedures are to be waived. This leads them to wonder what air travelers would actually be getting for their money.

And it should make all of us wonder which security procedures - painstakingly enacted after the Sept. 11 hijackings and terrorist attacks - some passengers will be able to pay to avoid. The TSA needs to be more specific. Security checkpoint measures aren't for convenience. They are for keeping America's air travelers safe, and they shouldn't be for sale.