New TSA Proposal Could Do Away With Security at Smaller Airports

Hector International Airport would not be affected

A new TSA proposal could do away with security at some airports. The plan would only affect about 150 small-to medium-sized airports across the country, not including Hector International Airport.

“I think it’s a mistake. I think there has to be a continued surveillance, not because the danger is always there, but because people make mistakes,” Michael Yellowbird, a frequent flyer, said.

Cutting security would mean you can keep things in your pockets and skip the lines in smaller airports. People would still have to go through security when arriving at larger airports.

“I don’t think it’d be very safe because it’d be more of a target for people if they did want to hurt mass amounts of people they could still come to the smaller airports,” Bailee Stafford, another traveler, said.

“People are going to figure that pretty quickly. They do all the time,” Yellowbird said.

Places like Jamestown Regional Airport would be affected. KVRR reached out to them, and officials say they’re still reviewing the proposal to see what it would mean.

“I’d rather put up with taking my belt off and taking my shoes off. You never know what’s going to happen and it’s better safe than sorry,” Corey Peters, a frequent flyer, said.

The cuts would save about $115 million per year.

“The budget is the budget. I think it’s the management of the money that matters. If they’re managing it correctly they’ll be able to continue with the service,” Peters said.

The TSA released a statement saying in part, “budget numbers are part of pre–decisional budget deliberations that are commonplace across federal agencies. No decisions have been made. ”

“You can’t screen hate. You have to screen the next best thing which is their personal possessions,” Yellowbird said.

The small to medium sized airports that would be affected are ones serving planes with 60 seats or fewer.