Atlanta airport officials recommend keeping TSA screeners after privatization study

Atlanta's Department of Aviation officials are recommending that federal TSA employees continue screening passengers and bags after a study found no compelling reason to switch to private contractors at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The Department of Aviation presented its findings to the Atlanta City Council's Transportation Committee, concluding that a change could create operational risks at an airport of Atlanta's size without resolving the uncertainty surrounding worker pay during government shutdowns. Councilmember Byron Amos, who requested the study in May, said Monday that he supports the recommendation. "When I introduced the legislation requesting the feasibility study, I did so with the intention of leaving the work in the hands of the experts," Amos said in a statement. What the study found Under the TSA's Screening Partnership Program, private contractors perform security screening while the federal agency retains oversight. Airport officials said contractors use the same equipment and must meet the same training requirements as federal screeners. The study found no cost difference for the airport or passengers because TSA selects and pays the contractors. Officials also said there were no chronic problems with screening quality, equipment or scheduling at Hartsfield-Jackson that warranted a switch. Transitioning an operation with approximately 1,300 TSA employees would carry risks, officials said. The private screening model has not been used at an airport with Atlanta's passenger volume, leaving no comparable transition to evaluate. Private screening would not guarantee shutdown protection Airport officials said private screening employees continued receiving pay during the federal shutdown because their employers covered payroll. But those companies were not receiving reimbursements from TSA while employees responsible for processing invoices were unavailable. That leaves uncertainty about how long contractors could keep paying workers during an extended shutdown, officials said. Instead, airport leaders said they support pending federal legislation addressing TSA worker pay during shutdowns. They also pledged to monitor changes to the private screening program and continue working with local TSA officials to improve operations. In: Transportation Security Administration Featured Local Savings