Would Increase Per-Ticket Charge By One Dollar Each Way

The budget proposal released Monday by the Trump administration would increase the fee paid by airline passengers for TSA by one dollar per ticket each way. One-way ticket fees would see a larger increase.

USA Today reports that under the plan, the fee would go up from $5.60 to $6.60 per ticket each way on a round-trip fare, with the fee for a one-way flight increasing from $6.60 to $8.25. The fee increases would go into effect October 1, 2018.

Congress has traditionally been opposed to such fee increases for TSA, but lawmakers generally technology upgrades for the agency. The Trump budget proposal calls for an investment of $71 million in new airport screening equipment.

The budget proposed by the administration singles out Computed Tomography (CT) 3D scanners as an example of new technology designed to increase airline safety. Such technology is being evaluated at checkpoints at the Boston and Phoenix airports. "The technology provides high-definition 3D images that screeners can zoom and rotate to identify and remove suspicious items before they get onto an airport," the budget document said.

The House Homeland Security Committee has been a proponent of the CT technology and has called for faster acquisition of the machines. Committee Chair Michael McCaul, (R-TX) has said he would like to see the CT devices at all U.S. airports, as well as the 10 "riskiest" airports at which flights to the U.S. originate.

FMI: Original report