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Issue link: http://airportbusiness.epubxp.com/i/532707
INSIDE THE FENCE Ronnie L. Garrett Editor GROUP PUBLISHER: Brett Ryden Brett@AviationPros.com 920-568-8338 EDITOR: Ronnie Garrett Ronnie@AviationPros.com 800-547-7377 ext. 1370 Columnist: Ralph Hood ralph@ralphhood.com SALES National Accounts Manager: Michelle Kohn 800-547-7377 x3344 National Accounts Manager: Mike Ringstad 920-568-8307 National Automotive & Truck Manager: Tom Lutzke 630-484-8040 Classified Advertising: Michelle Scherer 920-568-8314 International Sales Representative: Lutz Krampitz Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Turkey, Scandinavia +49 (0) 203 456 82 66 • Fax +49 (0) 203 456 85 38 krampitz@krampitzVv.de International Sales Representative: Stephanie Painter United Kingdom, France, Netherlands, Spain, Ireland, Italy +44 1634 829386 • Fax +44 1634 281504 Stephanie@painter-lowe.com List Rentals: Elizabeth Jackson email: ejackson@meritdirect.com phone: 847-492-1350 ext. 18 • fax: 847-492-0085 Cygnus Reprint Services For reprints and licensing please contact Brett Petillo at Wright's Media 877-652-5295 ext. 102 or bpetillo@wrightsmedia.com PRODUCTION Art Director: Rhonda Cousin Media Production Rep.: Carmen Seeber Carmen.Seeber@cygnus.com CIRCULATION Group Circulation Manager: Jackie Dandoy Circulation Manager: Debbie Dumke Cygnus Aviation Executive Vice President: Gloria Cosby VP Marketing: Gerry Whitty Director of Digital Business Development: Lester Craft CYGNUS BUSINESS MEDIA CEO: Paul Bonaiuto President: Chris Ferrell CFO: Ed Tearman VP, Technology: Eric Kammerzelt VP, Human Resources: Ed Wood VP, Production Operations: Curt Pordes Published and copyrighted 2015 by Cygnus Business Media, 1233 Janesville Ave., Fort Atkinson, WI 53538. 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Airport Business (USPS 001-614; ISSN 1072-1797 print; ISSN 2150-4539 online) is published 8 times per year in Feb/Mar, April, May, Jun/Jul, Aug/Sep, October, November and Dec/Jan. Periodicals postage paid at Fort Atkinson, WI and additional entry offices. Change of address or subscription information: Toll Free: 877-382-9187, Local: 847-559-7598, Email: circ.airportbusiness@ omeda.com. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Airport Business, Cygnus Business Media, PO Box 3257, Northbrook, IL 60065-3257. Printed in the USA. Canada Post PM40612608. Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: Airport Business, PO Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2. Canadian GST #842773848. Vol. 29, No. 6 June/July 2015 A s passengers pass through security at most airports , they are greeted with a dis- play of some of the instruments of mayhem confiscated over the TSA's 14-year history. And if you look at the TSA's 2014 year-end report, you'd think they'd just completed yet another successful year. The report shows they confiscated 2,212 firearms in 2014, many of which were loaded. These statistics made me feel good. They made me feel like the aggravation of standing in line for what seems like hours, removing ones shoes and suffering through pat-downs were worth it. Because like most passengers, when I arrive at an airport, I like to think of myself as safe. The alternative, that the evil-doers of the world may be lurking inside and preparing to execute some heinous crime, is something I prefer not to consider. I, like many passengers, prefer to believe there is this organization called the TSA watching for evil-doers and checking them at the door. Turns out this might be more fantasy than reality. In a recent internal investigation, airport screeners missed weapons and fake bombs in 67 out of 70 cases—a 95 percent failure rate! Worse yet it turns out this isn't the first time the TSA failed such a test. Department screeners smuggled simulated bombs and weapons past security checkpoints as far back as September 2002. Investigators passed through security checkpoints with components for improvised explosive devices (IED) and an actual IED concealed in carry-on luggage in 2007. And, in 2008, an audit made 43 recommendations to fix security gaps over a five-year period. This is just the passengers sneaking things into secure areas. What about employees? Turns out we're not exactly safe there either. The U.S. Inspector General reports that the TSA failed to identify 73 workers with links to terrorism in tests conducted at airport screening checkpoints. They do perform background checks on these workers, right? That these risks remain alarms more than just me. In recent weeks both the public and U.S. lawmakers have expressed their concerns. Screening 60 million passengers a year is an enormous task. But it's one most passengers would like the govern- ment get right. So what can be done? Besides replacing the leadership at the agency, leg- islators have recommended employing face-recognition software to identify potential terrorists and conducting reg- ular audits to look for weaknesses in the security process. Leaders suggest it's time to invest in advanced technology to replace screening devices that are decades old. Others say the government should nix the TSA altogether and return security responsibilities to the individual airlines. What would you like to see happen? Airport Business is covering this topic in greater depth in its August issue, and would like to know your thoughts. Please email me directly at Ronnie@aviationpros.com . I would love to hear from you. Insecurity Over Security Recent audit shows TSA has a 95 percent failure rate in detecting weapons and bombs LAGUARDIA FACELIFT MOVES FORWARD LaGuardia Airport is consistent- ly ranked among the worst in the United States for cleanliness, design and delays. In 2014, Governor Andrew Cuomo called LaGuardia's ranking a "disgrace" and vowed to redevelop it. Today his vision is moving forward to reality. The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey selected a group led by Swedish construc- tion company Skanska AB and a Vancouver-based airport operator to help finance, build and manage a $3.6 billion replacement for LaGuardia Airport's 50-year-old central terminal. The plans for LaGuardia call for a new 35-gate terminal with more restaurants and lounges, stores, bigger gate areas and improved passenger and baggage screen- ing. The Port Authority's board authorized the agency to negotiate the design of the central hall with the Skanska group. The entrance, which will connect terminals B and C, will cost as much as $400 million, bringing the project's cost to $4 billion. Construction is projected to start in the first quarter of 2016 and proceed in stages. June/July 2015 airportbusiness 5