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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 8, 2004

SCHUMER SCOLDS TSA, DEMANDS MORE SCREENERS AT STEWART SO AIRPORT CAN RETAIN ALL NEW INDEPENDENCE AIR FLIGHTS

Despite wave of new flights such as Independence Air and Southeast, there are only 35 TSA screeners at Stewart, down from 48 last year; As of September 1, there will be 65% more flights coming in but 27% fewer screeners available

Airport officials have said they may not have enough screeners for new Independence Air flight at 8:55 pm

In phone conversation Wednesday, Schumer presses top officials at TSA to send more screeners and a second screening lane to Stewart; Senator says he'll look unfavorably on new TSA candidate's nomination if he doesn't deliver

US Senator Charles E. Schumer yesterday called top Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials and pressed them to immediately beef up the number of screeners and add a second screening lane at Stewart Airport. Because of a shortage of screeners, airport officials are concerned that screening personnel levels will not be enough to accommodate new Independence Air and Southeast flights headed to the airport.

Schumer said that the recent reduction in TSA screeners has occurred at exactly the wrong time, when Stewart has experienced unprecedented growth and said that he would look unfavorably upon the nomination of David Stone, the newly appointed candidate to head the TSA, if improvements are not made to Stewart Airport's screening levels.

"We just got finished celebrating the fact that new airlines are bringing more flights to Stewart and the airport is experiencing some real growth," Schumer said. "Why TSA would insist on under-staffing Stewart when we need more screeners than ever is beyond me. The federal government should be supporting the airport, not holding it back, and I made that case very clear to the TSA and will continue to do so until I see results."

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. There are 30 full time and 5 part time TSA employees, a full-time equivalent (FTE) of 33.8 employees. However, because of injuries and other absences, the airport is operating with a FTE of 29. Stewart estimates it needs 36 FTE to handle the passenger load now; an FTE of 36 translates to 40-42 employees.

Schumer said that this shortage is particularly poorly timed in light of the addition of Independence Air and Southeast Airlines flights. In September, Independence Air will begin 6 daily round trip flights from Stewart/ Newburgh to Washington DC and 21 connecting cities for as low as $49 for a one-way ticket. In addition, Southeast Airlines, whose direct flights from Stewart to Florida and other destinations have proved popular, will add one flight per day, 5 days a week as of July 22. All the while, passenger numbers have shot up at Stewart over the last year. The month of March 2004 alone, in comparison to last year March showed an increase of 33.08% for both passengers enplaned and deplaned. In the first five months of 2004, Stewart carried 50,000 more passengers than during the same period last year.

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. The lack of a second screening lane and limited staffing are creating delays during the busiest hours - 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, when wait times can exceed an hour. National Express Corp., operator of Stewart International Airport, wants to construct a second screening lane this summer, in advance of Independence Air's arrival. However, they need TSA approval, TSA equipment, and more employees to staff it.

Stewart officials say that Independence Air's 8:55 pm flight could be jeopardized unless the airport has 36 FTE screeners, a second screening lane, and funds for after-8 p.m. staffing. With the current inadequate staffing, TSA cannot accommodate changes or enhancements to the flight schedules, which limits the airport’s flexiblity

"The current reduction in TSA staffing, long cue lines exceeding the number of passengers for which a checkpoint was designed, and even problems in the baggage makeup room will cause major delays at the airport which will become intolerable for the traveling public. This situation may even cause a loss of flights at the airport," Chuck Seliga, president, Stewart International Airport, said. "I have offered to build out the second checkpoint lane but the TSA needs to supply the screening equipment and the staffing. I have not heard a word from the TSA in Washington on how to solve this problem."

To cut down on long waits and to ensure adequate security at the airport, Schumer urged TSA to fully staff Stewart International Airport with the screeners it needs to handle all its increasing flight loads and to supply the airport with the necessary equipment to open an additional screening lane so that security checks are done thoroughly. On Wednesday, Schumer told TSA Deputy Director Stephen McHale that he will look unfavorably upon the nomination of David Stone to head the TSA if he does not deliver for Stewart. The Senate Governmental Affairs committee confirmed Stone’s nomination to become administrator of the TSA on Tuesday but the full Senate must still confirm him.

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. In November, Schumer helped to pave the way for Independence Air to bring new low-fare service to Stewart by getting the Justice Department to block a hostile takeover of Independence Airline by Mesa Airlines. Schumer, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, urged the Justice Department Anti-trust Division to investigate Mesa's attempt to see if the company may be engaging in anti-competitive behavior. Mesa dropped plans for the takeover upon learning that the Justice Department was considering conducting an investigation citing regulatory issues.

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