How many newspaper, TV and radio stories about airlines, airports, security, and TSA did you see this week? In my case, a lot; it’s what I look for; what I do. Each of them has its own back-story, history, issues and concerns to be discussed, questions to be asked, conclusions to be drawn. But too few stories stop there, not recognizing the connective threads that follow those stories down the proverbial rabbit holes, snarling each other with changing dynamics. Observe:
US airlines operated less flights in 2020 than in any year since DOT began counting in 1987.Some industry experts suggest the “new normal” may never reach 70% of 2019 loads, and that might not occur for 3-4 years (or more, depending on surges due to the current anti-masking movement in 17 States.) Indeed, a recent Federal lawsuit claims TSA does not have the authority to enforce the masking mandate. Although TSA is not a law enforcement agency per se, a mandatory Executive Order carries the force of law. How it is enforced may differ in various jurisdictions, including State and local law enforcement and regulatory constraints, as well as by the airport LEOs, airlines (my plane, my rules), and Customs for international arrivals... not to mention different rules and requirements in a few hundred different countries.Industry is moving rapidly toward development of
no-touch, self-screening technology due to CV-19 considerations.TSA says it is hiring over 6,000 new airport security screening officers... a 13.25% increase...... thus, 13.25%
more screeners for 30% less aircraft and passengers, a significant portion of whom will eventually be screening themselves for weapons and explosives... a strange concept all by itself., given that the rate of gun detections by TSA tripled last year.Yes, the most common excuse remains “geeez, I forgot...”, which I suspect may increase with self-screening and new security protocols to turn themselves in.Yes, that’s a joke.Yes, we in the industry know it is significantly more complicated than that, but the confusing perceptions are very real out here in the cold.Media coverage, and thus public awareness, tends to focus primarily on the public interface with TSA at the checkpoint. Let’s also remember that airport security does indeed have a significant element of public security and safety embedded in it... physical protection, regulatory and operational functions, training, cyber/digital integrity, emergency functions, and more. The presence or absence of weapons and explosives is clearly a safety issue as well ... potato, po-tah-to, yam, spud, or solanum tuberosum - all the same thing -- keeping people safe and secure.... if we ever get to leave the house again.
