Agency plan could send some airport screeners packing

By The Associated Press And Chronicle Staff

Passengers soon could see longer waits and fewer screeners at some Montana airports as the new federal agency that hired them aims to become more efficient, an official said Wednesday.

But Hugh Ford, the federal security director for the Transportation Security Administration in Billings, said that won't mean a decrease in security.

''We're just going to get leaner and meaner,'' Ford said.

Gallatin Field airport could lose five of its 43 screeners, Airport Director Ted Mathis said.

"We're obviously very concerned about that," Mathis said.

The airport had a tough time handling new security requirements during ski season - a peak travel time - with the current number of screeners, he said.

Now with summer arriving and more travelers expected to come through Gallatin Field, passengers may see longer lines and flight delays, he said.

By Sept. 30, as many as 84 of the 293 screening jobs held at Montana's six largest airports could be cut, according to the TSA.

Billings Logan International and Glacier Park International at Kalispell each stand to lose as many as 23 jobs.

A reduction in the work force has been expected since new machines to help screen passengers and luggage were added at commercial airports, Ford said.

''We want to get more efficient with our manpower, because we are the keepers of the people's money,'' Ford said.

The cuts are part of the TSA's recently announced plan to trim 6,000 airport screening jobs nationwide, a move attributed in part to budget constraints. Half the jobs are expected to be cut by month's end; the rest would be gone by the end of September, the agency said. As of March 31, TSA employed 55,600 screeners.

By the end of May, TSA also plans to lift its requirement that law enforcement officers be posted at every checkpoint.

Ford said some workers will be offered job transfers and normal attrition also is expected to reduce the work force, he said.

A telephone call left for the TSA's federal security director in western Montana was not immediately returned Wednesday.

Ford said passengers shouldn't see much change, but lines could be a bit longer. Staffing levels will be monitored to see if adjustments are needed, he said.

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