ANDERSON — Former TSA administrator John Pistole, who is now president of Anderson University, said federal agencies need to work together to resolve long security lines at several airports around the country.
"The staffing is currently inadequate for the numbers of passengers that are going through and so in the short term, there are going to be some wait times. Longer term, Congress needs to act to help address the staffing situation," Pistole told WTHR, Channel, 13, the news gathering partner of The Herald Bulletin.
Pistole said the Transportation Security Administration is trying to balance security with convenience.
"If we did away with security, and there would be no lines, like in the old days you could just go and walk and get on a plane, and people would see you off and all of that, nobody would fly. Because there is not a flight crew, pilots or flight attendants who are going to pilot or staff that plane because there might be a terrorist on board," Pistole said Wednesday.
Pistole says fixing the problem requires a partnership between the airlines, the airports, TSA, Homeland Security and the federal government.
Lawmakers called TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger back to a house hearing Wednesday to explain why there are long security lines at several airports across the country.
Part of the problem is increased passenger traffic close to 100 million travelers over the last three years. At the same time, the TSA has 12 percent fewer employees than it did before.
Pistole says he believes the TSA is prepared for the influx of holiday travelers this weekend. He advises that passengers arrive to the airport early and download cellphone apps to see the latest wait times.