TSA proposed budget cuts for small airports

Doing away with screening checkpoints at small airports was proposed by the Transportation Security Administration this year.

In a document obtained from CNN, the TSA tabled a few ideas to cut its budget by $300 million by 2020.

One of those ideas included eliminating TSA screening checkpoints from smaller regional airports.

Gladys D. Brown, Yuma International Airport Director says this plan wouldn’t have affected them at all, “Most regional airports, ones that are none hub, primaries like what we have here in Yuma do not have aircraft that fly less than 60 seats. So the minimum amount of aircraft, I mean passengers that we have on an aircraft today are 70 plus.”

Small airports affected would have been those with aircraft that only seat 60 passengers or less.

In a statement sent to News 11 TSA administrator David Pekoske said the move could have potentially saved $115 million annually.

Due to the negative backlash the proposed budget recently received on safety measure concerns, the agency will not be removing passenger screening at any federalized U.S. airports. Brown say’s that overall safety and security is their number one priority that the administration looks at.