The Transportation Security Administration has reduced checkpoint wait times at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport significantly in recent weeks, according to TSA administrator Peter Neffenger.
During the week of June 26-July 2, all travelers in regular TSA lines waited less than 30 minutes, while all travelers in TSA PreCheck lines waited less than five minutes, Neffenger wrote in a letter to Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Albany.
Bishop along with 10 other members of Georgia's Congressional delegation had written a letter to Neffenger in May requesting at least 100 additional TSA officers for Hartsfield-Jackson.
"Many constituents and stakeholders are contacting our offices to express frustration and alarm at the long wait times for security screening," according to the letter dated May 27. "This could be a deterrent to air travel that would have a significant economic impact in our region and state."
Neffenger responded in his letter that it has authorized funds for the equivalent of about 85 more full-time officers at Hartsfield-Jackson, including authority to hire 43 more officers, convert 69 part-time officers to full-time and use more than 28,000 additional overtime hours.
TSA also now plans to deploy an additional 25 officers to Hartsfield-Jackson from other airports to boost staffing from early July to early August.
The agency also plans to add canine units at other checkpoints beyond the main security checkpoint at Hartsfied-Jackson.
"I will closely monitor the situation at ATL, and TSA will make adjustments as necessary," Neffenger wrote.
