US Congress has been asked to approve $4.8 billion for the new Transportation Security Administration (TSA) under the Bush administration's fiscal year 2003 budget request.
This is nearly $3.5 billion more than Congress allocated in 2002 for the Department of Transportation's new security agency, which was created in November as a response to the 11 September terrorist attacks.
The increased funding for the TSA, part of the DoT's overall budget request of $59.3 billion, is not a surprise, as the agency has stiff challenges to meet. These include taking over responsibility for security screening at all US airports by 19 November and installing explosives detection systems at more than 400 US airports before the end of this year to ensure all checked baggage is screened for explosives.
The TSA's expanded budget also includes full funding of an expanded federal air marshal programme, although the exact number of armed marshals to be employed remains classified. Law enforcement officers loaned to the DoT after 11 September as temporary air marshals will return to their agencies.
Perhaps the only surprise is that President Bush intends to charge passengers and airlines $2.2 billion through passenger charges and user fees towards the cost of the TSA. The DoT has not detailed the proportion each type of fee should contribute, but deputy secretary for transportation Michael Jackson says that each airline's contribution would be capped until FY05 at the amount it paid for security in FY00.
Source: Flight International