Official Statement Airport Commission City and County of San ...

Airport Security
In the immediate aftermath of September 11, 2001, the FAA mandated stringent new safety and security
requirements, which have been implemented by the Commission and the airlines serving the Airport. In addition,
Congress passed the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (the “Aviation Act”), which imposed additional
safety and security measures. Certain safety and security functions at the Airport were assumed by the TSA, which
was established by the Aviation Act. Among other things, the Aviation Act required that (i) as of January 18, 2002,
explosive detection screening be conducted for all checked baggage; (ii) all individuals, goods, property, vehicles
and other equipment entering secured areas of airports be screened; (iii) security screeners be federal employees,
United States citizens and satisfy other specified requirements; and (iv) that vehicles be parked at least 300 feet from
airport terminals.
The Commission, the TSA and the airlines satisfied all of these requirements. The Airport installed in the
ITC and in Terminals 1 and 3, 45 TSA certified, three dimensional, GE CTX 9000 explosive detection baggage
screening machines to provide for 100% in-line checked baggage screening, as mandated by the Aviation Act. The
cost of acquisition and installation of the 45 machines was paid for by the TSA and FAA. In spring 2007, four GE
CTX 9000 explosive detection baggage screening machines that provided redundant screening capability were
removed from the Terminal Complex and three of these machines were installed as part of a cargo screening pilot
program. The pilot program was completed in April 2008 and these machines were returned to the TSA. The fourth
explosive detection baggage screening machine was allocated by the TSA for installation within a new Southwest
Airlines stand-alone baggage screening system being installed in Terminal 1. No machines will be installed in
Terminal 2 until spring 2011 when Terminal 2 is expected to be reopened for passenger traffic. See also “–Current
Airport Facilities–Terminals–Other Airport Terminals.” The Airport may undertake a number of other required
security related capital projects, a portion of the costs of which are expected to be funded by federal grants.
The TSA operates nine separate security checkpoints containing 39 security lanes with employees of a
private security firm, Covenant Aviation Security. The Airport is one of six airports in the nation in which the TSA
operates security through their private partnership program. The employees of the private security firm undergo the
same training and are under the same TSA management as federal-employed security operating at other United
States airports. This private partnership program at the Airport has been in operation since 2002. TSA management
utilizes staffing models and closed circuit images to monitor demand checkpoints to quickly accommodate increases
in passenger flow.
The Airport is one of 19 domestic airports in the nation where the whole-body electromagnetic imaging
screening machines are being used by the TSA, although, under certain circumstances, passengers may still opt to be
screened through the current metal detector system. The costs of acquisition and installation of the whole-body
imaging machines at the Airport was paid for by the TSA.
On August 24, 2009, the Global Entry initiative, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) pilot
program that streamlines the arrival screening process at airports for trusted travelers through biometric
identification, was extended to the Airport and 12 other airports. Global Entry enrollment centers and kiosks at the
Airport allow pre-approved members an alternative to regular passport processing lines. At the kiosk, Global Entry
members insert their passport or lawful permanent resident card into a document reader, provide digital fingerprints
for comparison with fingerprints on file, answer customs declaration questions on the kiosk’s touch-screen, and then
present a transaction receipt to CBP officers before leaving the inspection area.
Airline Service
General
For Fiscal Year 2009-10 the Airport is served by 46 passenger and six cargo only airlines. Domestic
passenger air carriers provide scheduled non-stop service to 70 destinations and scheduled one-stop service to an
additional 26 destinations within the United States. Twenty-seven passenger airlines provide nonstop scheduled
passenger service to 29 international airport destinations and one-stop service to an additional 13 international
destinations.
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