The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) yesterday announced $240 million in stimulus spending to supply inline baggage handling systems integrated with explosive detection systems (EDS) at 10 airports across the country.
DHS said the 10 airports represent new projects that were made possible through cost saving initiatives by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in the cost assessment and negotiation process related to the original slate of 16 airports identified by DHS earlier this year as recipients of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding for inline EDS. DHS says the TSA cost savings initiatives.
“By managing our Recovery Act funds responsibly, we are able to stretch our resources even further to deploy new security equipment to more airports across the country,” Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said in a statement. “These state-of-the-art baggage systems will inject critical resources into local communities while making travel safer.”
The 10 airports that have received conditional letters from TSA are Washington Dulles International (Va.), Lambert-St. Louis International, Yellowstone Regional (Wyo.), William P. Hobby (Houston), St. Petersburg/Clearwater International (Fla.), Gallatin Field (Mont.), Little Rock National (Ark.), Tulsa International (Olka.), Charlotte Douglas International (N.C.), and Colorado Springs.
“Award of the stimulus funding to the 10 new airports is conditional based on TSA approving final cost proposals.”
There are three companies with TSA-certified EDS systems. They are General Electric [GE], L-3 Communications [LLL] and Reveal Imaging Technologies.
Having inline EDS systems means these airports will be able to remove existing EDS or other explosives detection equipment from their lobbies and instead rely on systems that will be integrated into the baggage handling systems. This frees up lobby space and streamlines the passengers’ experience as they move between ticketing and boarding. The projects are expensive but have the support of Congress.
TSA received $1 billion in stimulus spending, $700 million of which is for checked baggage screening. So far TSA has provided $344 million for the inline EDS systems at 17 airports, including the 10 just announced. DHS has also announced $7.7 million in stimulus funding for the installation of new video surveillance systems at four airports.