Airports say security checks going smoothly

By Alan Levin, USA TODAY

Airports reported few hangups at security lines Tuesday as travelers endured more rigorous searches and the air travel system geared up for the weekend.

"It's been a very smooth process today," said Katena Carvajales, spokeswoman at Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport, the world's busiest.

Hartsfield expects to handle 1.7 million passengers through Monday, Carvajales said. So far, she said, the crush of people hasn't led to long waits at security lines. Nor have there been any protests. The average wait at checkpoints there was less than 10 minutes Tuesday.

The Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) introduction of more thorough pat-downs — which includes a swipe of genital areas through clothing — has prompted a strong negative reaction from many travelers. Less than 3% of passengers receive them.

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Other passengers are upset at the growing number of body scanner machines that peer through clothing in search of weapons and explosives. The machines capture an image of the body, which is viewed by a TSA officer in a private room and then discarded.

Loose-knit groups on the Internet are urging travelers to boycott the body scanners at airports today, which would force the TSA to perform more of the time consuming pat-downs than normal. TSA Administrator John Pistole said that he's concerned that the boycotts could trigger delays.

Since the procedure went into effect at all airports Nov. 1, the TSA has received about 2,000 complaints from passengers about either the new searches or the body scanners, Pistole said Tuesday. About 35 million people have taken flights during that time, he said.

Despite the threat of protests and a handful of high-profile cases of outraged travelers, airlines haven't seen a noticeable increase in flight cancellations or falling reservations, said David Castelveter of the Air Transport Association, the trade group for large carriers.

Christopher Bidwell, security chief at the Airports Council International, said the system was functioning well.

"Airports have not reported that there are either significant lines or significant issues having to do with screening of passengers," he said.

There's been a 3.5% increase in passengers so far this holiday compared to a year ago, but waits at TSA checkpoints have remained steady, the agency reported. Of the passengers who are selected for body scanners — still a minority of travelers — less than 1% have asked to have a pat-down instead, the TSA said.

Following a decision last week to streamline screening for uniformed pilots, the TSA announced Tuesday that uniformed flight attendants would be able to avoid the more aggressive pat-downs and the body scanners. Attendants must still go through metal detectors and must prove with two forms of ID that they are airline employees.

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