Printer-friendly Version

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 16, 2004

SCHUMER DELIVERS ADDITIONAL SECURITY SCREENERS AND EXTRA SCREENING LANE TO STEWART AIRPORT

Despite wave of new flights, there are far fewer TSA screeners at Stewart than last year and airport needed additional screening lane; Airport officials said without more security, new Independence Air flight at 8:55 pm would be in jeopardy

After Schumer threatened to oppose TSA appointee’s nomination, agency agreed to send more screeners and equipment to Stewart to open a new screening lane and staff late Indy Air flight

US Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has agreed to send new security screeners and add a second security screening lane at Stewart International Airport. Last week, Schumer called top TSA officials and pressed them to immediately beef up security to accommodate the increased passenger flow. Because of a shortage of screeners, airport officials were concerned that screening personnel levels would not be enough to accommodate new Independence Air and Southeast flights headed to the airport.

"This commitment from the TSA means more good news for Stewart airport. We just got finished celebrating the news that new airlines are bringing more flights to Stewart and the airport is experiencing some real growth,” Schumer said. “Now they’ll have the screeners and equipment they need to handle these increased flights and passengers and I’m glad the TSA finally came around.”

Currently, Stewart Airport is operating with 29 full time screeners, while airport officials say that many more are needed to handle the passenger load now. In addition despite the growth and the hundreds of 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, according to Stewart officials.

Schumer said that the personnel and equipment shortage was 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. Stewart officials said that under the current conditions, Independence Air's 8:55 pm flight would have been jeopardized unless the airport had more screeners, a second screening lane, and funds for after-8 p.m. staffing. 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.

Despite the shortages, passenger numbers have shot up last year. The month of March showed an increase of 33.08% in both passengers enplaned and deplaned over the year before. In the first five months of 2004, Stewart carried 50,000 more passengers than during the same period last year.

Schumer revealed today that at his urging the TSA has agreed to send the airport additional screeners and the equipment and man-power necessary to open a second screening lane - and the agency now considers the security screening situation at Stewart a “high priority”. In addition, the TSA has agreed to provide funding for after-8 p.m. staffing to save the late Independence Air flight. TSA officials will meet with Stewart officials to determine the specific number of new screeners and the amount of new equipment that is needed.

“This major announcement by Senator Chuck Schumer will provide a higher level of service to the passengers traveling out of Stewart International Airport at a time when additional airlines and new service are looking to come to Stewart,” said Stewart Airport president Chuck Seliga. “Our goal is to eliminate the hassle that occurs at other airports. With the proposed increase in staffing by the TSA, and in cooperation with National Express Corp. as the operator of the airport, we have committed to work with the TSA on building and implementing an additional screening lane to reduce the length of the lines and time it takes to clear the TSA screening process. This can only happen with a commitment from the TSA to provide the equipment and the staffing.”

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.

Schumer was joined today by Stewart Airport president Chuck Seliga and Stewart Airport marketing director Kiran Jain.

###