WASHINGTON — Three airports – Charlotte, Orlando and St. Louis – will start screening all bags with minivan-sized explosive detection machines called inline screening systems funded by $56 million in stimulus money.
“By utilizing Recovery Act funds to enhance vital airport security technology projects, we will continue to streamline the passenger check-in process and enhance airport security,” Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Wednesday in announcing the funding.
Southeast regional TSA spokesman Jon Allen said inline screening is already in place at 52 airports.
“There are almost 450 airports across the country, and many of them need the inline system to keep up with capacity,” he said.
Inline screening uses a large electronic machine that screens checked baggage. Each piece of luggage is put through the machine while the system tracks each bag, including which officers touched the bag throughout the screening process. Most machines have an extensive camera system installed offering additional protection to officers and travelers.
The Department of Homeland Security announced in February that 17 airports were going to receive the necessary funding to implement the inline systems; the $56 million to Charlotte, Orlando and St. Louis is part of that effort.
Of the $56 million, $45.4 million will go to new baggage screening technologies at Charlotte Douglas Airport, $3.1 million will go to upgrading baggage screening systems at the St. Louis Airport, and $7.5 million will go to expanding the camera surveillance capabilities at the Orlando Airport.
“These enhanced inline baggage screening systems and expanded surveillance capabilities will strengthen our ability to detect and disrupt threats of terrorism” by reducing the number of baggage re-scans and physical searches by security officers, said Napolitano.
Last year, President Barack Obama committed $1 billion to TSA projects, of which $734 million is dedicated to screening checked baggage and $266 million is allocated for checkpoint explosives detection technologies.
“This is our first baggage system modification since 2001, so this change is much needed and expected,” said Jerry Orr, aviation director of the Charlotte Douglas Airport.
Construction for the new baggage system at Charlotte Douglas Airport is expected to begin in October and will take several years to complete, said Orr. Currently, more than half of the two million people that fly each day use airports with automated baggage screening, according to TSA.
For more information on the inline baggage screening system and its process visit: http://www.tsa.gov/press/happenings/How_we_do_bag_scr.shtm