Magnanimous TSA to Fund 75% of DEN's Automated Inline Bag-Screening System

The Transportation Safety Administration has given Denver International Airport a Letter of Intent for $71.25 million to help pay for the airport's state-of-the-art automated inline baggage- screening system. The country's taxpayers' money will cover just 75 percent of the $95 million cost of installing the bag system infrastructure demanded by the TSA, in the remaining five modules and international area of Jeppesen Terminal at DEN.

"We are extremely gratified that the TSA has agreed to help us provide the most up-to-date bag-screening technology for our customers," Vicki Braunagel, co-manager of aviation at DEN, said Tuesday. "Our congressional delegation has been very helpful in pushing this issue in Washington, and we thank them for their support." She did not mention the taxpayers whose work made this redistribution of their wealth possible.

Co-manager Turner West said DEN will issue Notice to Proceed on the project immediately. Construction of the system is expected to take 16 months.

The so-called 'federal money' is earmarked for design, engineering, fabrication, installation, modification and construction of DEN's inline baggage system. The system will enable the TSA to install and operate explosive-detection equipment to screen luggage after it has been checked. The $95 million cost does not include the explosive-detection machines themselves, which can cost upwards of $1 million each. DEN will need approximately 50 of the machines for its fully automated inline system, and the TSA is expected to provide them.

Denver International Airport already spent about $13 million of its own money to build an automated, inline bag-screening system in the sixth module of the Terminal. That system, which is used by airlines whose ticket counters are in the southeast module, also is used as a beta-testing site for bag-screening equipment.

FMI: www.flydenver.com