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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 19, 2004

WITH LINES HITTING TWO HOURS LONG, SCHUMER URGES TSA TO ADD MORE SCREENERS AT STEWART AIRPORT

Despite unprecedented growth at the airport, there are only 35 TSA screeners at Stewart, while original screening program called for 59; Inadequate staffing has resulted in two hour lines for some flights

Schumer: Long waits threaten to undermine the benefits of recent addition of Southeast Airlines; TSA should bolster fleet of screeners immediately

US Senator Charles E. Schumer today warned that long delays at Stewart Airport threaten to undermine the recent successful addition of Southeast Airlines and urged the federal Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to beef up the number of screeners at the airport. Schumer said that the recent reduction in TSA screeners has occurred at exactly the wrong time, when Stewart has experienced unprecedented growth with the advent of service by Southeast Airlines.

"Exciting things are happening at Stewart Airport," Schumer said. "We have Southeast Airlines now and more passengers are coming. But if lines continue to be two hours long, that growth could be undermined very quickly. The long waits are not only inconvenient, but they indicate that the screeners at the airport may be overextended. We can't play around when it comes to security at our airports, and TSA needs to fully staff Stewart without further delay."

TSA documents show that there are only 35 TSA Screening Personnel employed at Stewart, while the original screening program for the airport called for 59 screeners. In 2003, the airport had as many as 48 screeners. Schumer said that this reduction is poorly timed in light of the addition of Southeast Airlines. In addition, despite the growth and the more than 400 additional customers using Stewart terminals every day, Stewart is still only equipped with one screening lane. Stewart officials report that because of these bare bones conditions, customers often have to wait in screening lines for more than two hours.

To cut down on long waits and to ensure adequate security at the airport, Schumer today urged TSA to fully staff Stewart International Airport with the 59 screeners it was promised and to supply the airport with the necessary equipment to open an additional screening lane so that security checks are done thoroughly. "Growth of the airline industry is very important to New York and should be encouraged by the federal government," Schumer wrote today in a letter to Admiral James M. Loy, Administrator for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). "Service expansion must be coupled with additional security resources from your agency. I respectfully ask to see a full plan for added security at Stewart International Airport from your Administration in the next three weeks."

Schumer has long been committed to improving the quality and availability of air service in the Hudson Valley and the rest of upstate New York, bringing Jet Blue to Syracuse, Buffalo and Rochester and Southwest to Albany. Both carriers are experiencing great success in these markets.

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