The feds delivered an early Christmas present for harried holiday air travelers yesterday – fewer hassles at the nation’s airports.
Changes in security procedures mean passengers will now be allowed to park their vehicles closer to air terminals and fewer people will be subjected to screenings at the gate, officials said.
“Clearly, the gate screening resulted from the inadequacies of their [the feds] original security program,” said David Stempler, head of the Air Travelers Association.
“Now that they have started to correct those deficiencies, they can eliminate the much-despised gate screening.”
Major changes in the boarding pass system will be implemented at terminals that are part of a pilot program to end gate screening – including Newark, La Guardia and Kennedy airports.
At all other U.S. airports, mobile teams of screeners will roam the terminals double-checking some passengers.
And officials said instead of checking a few passengers at every gate, only travelers at randomly selected gates will be searched.
“We’re going to reduce the hassle factor by reducing the amount of gate screening we’re doing,” said Deputy Transportation Secretary Michael Jackson.
Among the reasons cited for the about-face were the new layers of airport security, a better-trained federal screener work force, air marshals and more thorough background checks.
Parking is another issue that’s problematic with passengers and airports alike. Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, parking was prohibited to within 300 feet of terminals to protect against car bombs.
But officials said the ban will be lifted as long as the terror threat remains at – or below – code yellow. The tough rules will be reimposed if the risk increases.
Both the parking and screening issues were on a Transportation Security Administration list of “stupid rules.”
Highlights of new procedures
Here’s what’s changing at the nation’s airports:
The rule: Vehicles banned from parking within 300 feet of terminals
The change: Ban lifted, but will be reimposed during terror alerts
The rule: Passengers screened at every gate
The change: Screening only at randomly selected gates
The rule: Travelers again screened at the boarding gates after passing through security
The change: Boarding passes required before passengers go through security