Centerlines - June 2008 - (Page 23)

PASSENGER FOCUS Screening checkpoint. TSA load information so they would have a better idea of when the peak times would be. After that meeting, the tenants developed their own plans in addition to a formalized operations plan the airport distributed. baggage screening checkpoints and avoid the long wait times that occurred in 2004. “That additional bag zone certainly was worth its weight in gold for us,” added Brainard. Brainard says his workforce put together a schedule where all TSA personnel worked at the airport during the heavy volume days around the Check-in during the Caucus rush. caucus. “They sacriﬁced their family time to come back side. Extensions were put on in and make these things work,” he the X-ray tables so that more passaid. TSA administration staff was sengers could queue up at the same also on hand to help the system ﬂow time. Additionally, the preventative smoothly. maintenance schedule on all the TSA assumed the ticket docuscreening machines was increased ment checker function during this to ensure proper function. peak period—a function usually left to workers hired by the airlines. Brainard Rental Car Coordination said this allowed for a better level of The rental car agencies were warnsecurity in terms of checking IDs and ing airport administration “for quite a boarding passes, as well as increased bit of time” that there would be conthroughput by having “more qualiﬁed gestion issues, said Tim Stiles, deputy people conducting the ticket docudirector for ﬁnance and administrament checker function.” tion. The airport took several steps In terms of physical changes to to prepare for the inﬂux of vehicles, the checkpoint, additional seating he added. On a normal Friday and and divesture space was added on Saturday, said Stiles, Des Moines has the front side of the screening, as 800 to 1,000 rental car returns. The well as composure space on the Friday and Saturday after the January www.aci-na.org | CENTERLINES Long Lines No More Since 2004, the airport has doubled the size of its security checkpoint and added two screening lanes. Wait times for many passengers were well over an hour after the 2004 Iowa caucus, but this time around, Smith said the longest recorded wait time in the security screening line was just three minutes. One lesson learned from 2004 came from screening oversized baggage. Much of the trafﬁc going through the airport was media personnel with cameras and other large equipment that did not ﬁt in the CTX screening machines at Des Moines. “We found that it would be beneﬁcial for us to create another bag zone speciﬁcally for oversized bags,” said Jay Brainard, TSA federal security director at Des Moines. “That required the airlines to identify these at the counters and make referrals.” This helped TSA keep the ﬂow of passenger baggage consistent at the checked 23 http://www.aci-na.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Centerlines - June 2008

Centerlines - June 2008 Contents President’s Message Canadian Airports Associates’ Corner Guest Column On the Hill and On the Stump Policy Center Cover Story: Hotter Than Last July? Revenue Arena: Building Non-Aeronautical Revenue Environment: Wind Turbines at Boston Logan Passenger Focus: Des Moines Deals with the Iowa Caucuses Safety and Security: Inline Explosives Detection Systems Air Service Recruitment: Holding on to What You’ve Got On Management: Managing Capital Programs Now Underway Grand Opening Conference Previews and Reviews New Members Index of Advertisers/Advertiser.com Box Scores

Centerlines - June 2008

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