News Releases

Sen. Moran Announces Federal Screening Services to Resume at Salina Regional Airport

Two Weeks After Meeting in Sen. Moran’s Office, TSA Confirmed Federal Screening Will Resume

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) today announced that “upon further review” the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will provide federal screening resources at Salina Regional Airport (KSLN) in Salina, Kan.

TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger, Salina Airport Authority Executive Director Tim Rogers and Great Lakes Airlines CEO Doug Voss met in Sen. Moran’s Washington office on April 6, 2016, and two weeks later TSA confirmed its commitment to restore federalized security screening to the airport.

“Air service means so much to Salina and Central Kansas, and without this decision Salina would not be able to resume commercial service,” Sen. Moran said. “The safety of travelers in both Kansas and at destination airports would be jeopardized without proper security screening. I appreciate the commonsense decision made by TSA Administrator Neffenger to ensure thousands of Kansans will be able to fly safely and efficiently from Salina to their final destinations. Thanks to Tim Rogers and Doug Voss for your persistence and leadership to help resolve this important issue.”

Great Lakes was scheduled to begin nonstop commercial service from Salina, Kan., to Denver, Colo., on April 1, 2016, but that service has been postponed indefinitely while KSLN waited for a commitment from TSA to provide federalized security screening. However, the process of transferring necessary security screening equipment and personnel could still take several weeks.

Sen. Moran sponsors the TSA Fairness Act (S. 2549), which would require TSA to provide federalized screening services at any U.S. airport that lost commercial service since 2013 and has a commitment from a commercial carrier to resume service, such as KSLN. Last month, Sen. Moran offered this legislation as an amendment to the FAA Reauthorization bill and it was successfully adopted.

Yesterday, the full Senate passed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2016 (S. 2658), by a 95-3 vote. This legislation reauthorizes the FAA through Fiscal Year 2017, and now heads to the House for consideration.

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