Johnson applauds efforts by Congress, TSA personnel on busy holiday weekend

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson released a statement on Tuesday regarding Transportation Security Administration (TSA) wait times and security procedures going forward.

“From Wednesday, June 30 through Monday, July 4, TSA screened 10.7 million travelers. June 30 and July 1 were the highest-volume travel days we have seen since 2007,” Johnson said. “During this period, however, the average wait time nationwide in standard security lines was less than ten minutes, while those in TSA Pre-check lines waited less than five minutes. TSA’s success this weekend is a testament to the hard work of the men and women of the agency – both its leadership and, more importantly, those on the front lines at the airports.

“For example, over 100 transportation security officers (TSOs) and TSA volunteers transferred from around the country to fill in at screening operations at the seven busiest airports. I also salute TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger and his leadership team for ably navigating the agency during these very demanding times.”

Johnson also noted the support the agency has received from Congress. Through such efforts, the TSA was able to expedite the hiring of 768 new TSOs, add more overtime pay for existing TSA workers and convert 2,784 part-time TSOs to full-time workers. Johnson added that his agency is in the process of hiring 600 additional TSOs by the end of fiscal year.

Johnson said that airports across the nation are using their new resources to reduce wait times as quickly as possible.