TSA skeptical about bill for Port Columbus baggage system

March 28, 2013

March 28--There seems to be a $5.7 million difference of opinion between Port Columbus officials and the Transportation Security Administration over the bill for the airport's in-line baggage-inspection system.

"The total project costs were $32 million, and we're expecting the TSA to pay for $22 million, with the balance of the funding from passenger facility charges," said David Whitaker, the Columbus Regional Airport Authority's vice president of business development.

To date, the TSA has paid the airport authority about $16.3 million. The in-line baggage inspection system has been operational for about a year.

Previously, passengers had to check in and then walk their luggage over to one of the nearby TSA stations. Now, passengers can check their luggage in at ticket counters, and the baggage is then whisked away on conveyer belts to the two inspection stations, where they are X-rayed before being loaded onto airplanes.

"It's been very successful," Whitaker said of the transition.

The TSA approved the airport authority's first 17 billing requests for the inspection system, Whitaker said, but paid only $1.3 million of the $5 million total from the final two requests.

The airport authority has yet to submit its final $2 million invoice.

"We thought we had an understanding of the allowable and acceptable expenses that were included in the TSA grant," Whitaker said, noting the agency hasn't responded to efforts to discuss the matter.

The TSA sent a letter to airport officials on Monday that Whitaker said he has not seen.

"It very clearly explains our position on each invoice and notes our willingness to continue communicating with them on the invoice issues," said TSA spokeswoman Ann Davis.

The letter states the lack of supporting data, unallowable costs and some issues with the operation of the new system are the reasons the request for payment were disallowed.

Other highlights from this week's airport authority board meeting:

More cargo

RCS Logistics will soon move into a 48,000-square-foot space at Rickenbacker Airport, in Air Cargo Terminal 4. The New York-based, international logistics and freight-forwarding company currently occupies 20,000 square feet in Air Cargo Terminal 3.

Both terminals are owned by the airport authority.

"We are growing extremely fast, and we have additional customers coming on board," said Patti Zanes, general manger of the company's Rickenbacker operations.

The expansion will add four administrative staff members and 10 to 20 full- and part-time workers in the warehouse, she said. The company currently employs 12 administrative employees and eight full-time warehouse workers, plus some additional part timers, she said.

RCS specializes in moving apparel and electronics from overseas to warehouses in Columbus and as far away as Florida.

The regular charter flights of Kalitta Air to and from Hong Kong have allowed RCS to expand its operations, Zanes said.

A down month

The passenger count in February at Port Columbus was 443,000, down 3 percent compared with February 2012.

"It was a leap year last February, so there was an extra day," said Elaine Roberts, CEO of the airport authority.

Another reason was a 9.3 percent decrease in flights.

The amount of freight hauled at Rickenbacker was down 8 percent to 12 million tons. All of the loss came from FedEx operations, which fell 13 percent.

"They're sending a lot more out by truck, and this is a trend that will continue," Roberts said.

Quiet, please

The number of noise complaints from nearby residents was up in 2012 at all three airports overseen by the airport authority.

Thirty complaints were directed at Port Columbus operations, 17 at Rickenbacker and two at Bolton Field. The total of 49 is up from 36 in 2011, but still well below the 10-year average of 96 complaints.

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@stevewartenberg

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