Kansas airport adds security lane
30,000-Foot View
Kansas airport adds security lane
An expansion at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport will increase the number of security lanes at the airport from three to four and add new X-ray machines. The project will start this week and is expected to be completed by Aug. 22. Officials say the project, which will cost $110,000, will shorten security lines. “You still ought to get here in plenty of time to allow you to go through security, but it should shorten our average wait time, which in July was roughly about 20 minutes in the peak time periods,” Transportation Security Administration Federal Security Director Keith Osborn said. KSNW-TV (Wichita, Kan.) (8/1)
Security Update
TSA cracks down on criminal conduct by employees
Criminal incidents do not occur often among the Transportation Security Administration’s 52,000 employees, TSA Deputy Administrator John Halinski said at a Homeland Security subcommittee hearing. Nevertheless, the TSA is working to improve its management of employees and hiring standards. It has also created an office dedicated to investigations and disciplining employees. “I?m not going to tolerate criminal conduct,? Halinski said. ?I give you my word.? Bloomberg Businessweek (8/1)
Bomb threat stalls operations at Texas airport
Both terminals at San Antonio International Airport were evacuated on Wednesday after officials received a threat that “the airport was going to blow up.” Officials canceled all operations for more than two hours. Emergency personnel eventually determined that the call was a hoax. USA TODAY (8/1)
Poll: How long does it take for you to pass through security checkpoints?
| Between five and 20 minutes. |  60.69% |
| Less than five minutes. |  19.31% |
| Between 20 and 30 minutes. |  11.72% |
| More than 30 minutes. |  8.28% |
Trends & Technology
Column: Intense focus on revenue ushers in new era for airlines
Airlines have entered a new age — one defined by cost-cutting efforts and mounting ancillary revenue that cause headaches for the average flier, Joe Sharkey writes. “The new realities include higher fares, fewer schedule choices and more cramped seating — unless you pay extra for the less-awful seats that airlines now so eagerly peddle,” Sharkey writes. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (7/30)
Hotels, airports make exercise easier for travelers
Airports and hotels are making it easier for travelers to fit a workout into their schedules. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport has a LiveWell Walking Path, nearly a mile long, with two 55-foot-high staircases for cardio exercise. Hotel INK48 offers the “Forgot It, We’ve Got It — Runner’s Edition” pack with an iPod, sports watch with pedometer and water bottles, while Westin Hotels’ New Balance Gear Lending Program provides guests with workout clothes. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (8/1)
Policy & Regulatory
Court orders TSA to explain why it hasn’t held scanner hearings
A federal court has ordered the Transportation Security Administration to explain why it has not held public hearings related to body scanners used at security checkpoints. The court ordered the TSA to respond by Aug. 30. Public comments during a hearing and the TSA’s response to them could be reviewed by the court; observers note that the content of the hearings could open up a new legal challenge to the scanners. Wired.com (8/1)
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