The Transportation Security Administration has notified the City of Pensacola that 8 additional TSA employees from the National Deployment Force (NDF) have been approved and will begin working at Pensacola International Airport (PNS) on Sunday, May 5. They will remain on-site through July.
This comes after Mayor D.C. Reeves urged the city’s legislative delegation in Washington, D.C., to make the case for immediate relief due to increasing wait times at the airport’s security checkpoint.
In the letters sent to 8 lawmakers, Mayor Reeves wrote, “The physical constraints of the Airport facility have resulted in queuing lines commonly extending to parts of the airport not designed for travel-related public access…It is readily apparent during these times that TSA personnel levels are not resourced properly. Even though TSA screening forecasts are deliberate, analytic, and for the most part, accurate down to the hour, in practice, screening lanes remain unmanned and underutilized.”
Upon learning of the NDF deployment, Mayor Reeves said, “I am very encouraged to hear help is on the way for Pensacola International Airport. I’m extremely appreciative of the TSA’s decision to provide more resources immediately. Thank you to Sen. Scott and Rep. Gaetz, who yet again answered the bell for Pensacola, taking swift action when we needed it most. We will continue to monitor these improvements taking form through the summer as we restore smoother and more consistent operations at PNS.”
Pensacola International Airport Director Matt Coughlin adds, “Like many agencies, TSA struggles with workforce resourcing. However, we also have an obligation to our community to maintain the Fly Easy promise and must do everything in our power to enable our partners to support that effort.”
