Throughout the pandemic, the TSA has adjusted as guidance from federal health officials has evolved, he said. In addition to ensuring front-line workers are taking proper virus-related precautions, the TSA has used technology to reduce interactions between employees and the public, LaJoye said. Even so, 16 employees have died of the coronavirus.
LaJoye said about 60 percent of TSA employees have received their first shot and 40 percent are fully vaccinated.
“It really has been a game-changer from where we were just a few months ago,” he told the panel.
The growing number of vaccinated Americans has meant more people are traveling, in some cases leading to wait times similar to those experienced before the pandemic struck.
Since early March, the number of people moving through airport checkpoints routinely has topped 1 million. On Sunday, the agency set a 2021 record for passenger screenings, with more than 1.6 million people moving through checkpoints. Internal bulletins reviewed by The Washington Post indicate wait times were as long as 45 minutes at some airports because of passenger volumes and staffing.
Increasing travel is part of what’s behind the agency’s stepped-up hiring efforts. LaJoye said the TSA has hired 2,500 officers since January and plans to hire 1,600 more in the next eight weeks. Still, that number is below the 6,000 it said in February it hoped to have onboard by summer.
The slower travel period during the pandemic allowed the agency to more quickly put new technology into place, including machines that verify travelers’ identities by comparing an image taken at the checkpoint to their photo identification. More than 1,000 credential authentication machines are being piloted at 121 locations, with plans for at least 1,000 more in the coming months, LaJoye told lawmakers.
The TSA also has installed about 300 machines at airports that eventually could eliminate the need for travelers to remove electronics, liquids and other items from bags, he said.
The agency has taken on additional enforcement responsibilities as the Biden administration has put new rules in place for masks.
Last week, the agency announced it was extending a transportation mask mandate through Sept. 13. Since the requirement went into effect that people wear masks in transportation settings — including at airports, onboard airplanes, and when riding trains and buses — officials have recorded about 2,000 incidents in which people have refused to comply. The vast majority take place on airplanes, LaJoye said.
The Federal Aviation Administration reported this week that since February it has received more than 1,300 complaints of unruly passenger behavior on flights and has identified possible violations in about 260 of those cases. The agency, which in January announced a zero-tolerance policy for passengers who refuse to follow crew members’ orders when traveling, is seeing a significant rise in such reports by airlines.
Passengers traveling with firearms have been a particular concern, LaJoye said. Despite the slowdown in travel last year, TSA officers found double the number of guns that they did in 2019 — the most in the agency’s 19-year history. TSA officers caught 120 guns during the last week in April, including 32 in a single day.
About 80 percent of the firearms are loaded and often are found in the bottom of a traveler’s bag, LaJoye said. He said when asked, many passengers tell officers they simply forgot they had the firearm.
While travelers caught with firearms can face significant fines, LaJoye said the agency is planning educational campaigns to remind people that firearms aren’t allowed through checkpoints. The TSA also is working with state and local officials, as well as local gun clubs to reduce the number of incidents.
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TSA warns of longer airport wait times as travel ramps up - Washington Post
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