White Paper: TSA Security Options

"Options to TSA Security: Is Private Security Screening Right for Your Airport?"
Released February 2016
 

Steven Baldwin Associates is pleased to announce the release of our latest industry analysis white paper about options to TSA security screening. In the report, SBA analyzes the pros and cons of applying to the TSA for the private vendor option for passenger and property security screening, known as the Screening Partnership Program.

In the 14-page, in-depth report, SBA details the TSA's streamlined application process and we pinpoint the issues that are most indicative of whether your airport could benefit from a switch from TSA security to private vendors.

We conclude that the private vendor option could be successfully used by a wide variety of airports since many airports could benefit from the increased flexibility in staffing and scheduling that the program provides, as well as the improvements in customer service.

The downloadable PDF (4.6MB) is available directly from our website by clicking here.

Media Clips

The report has been reported in business and aviation related media, including: 

• The Times Union (Albany, NY) ran an article in its business section highlighting our findings including:
  • Costs with private security were reduced by an estimated 3 percent, although the savings were realized not by the airport but by the U.S. Treasury.
  • Airport officials reported more flexibility with staffing than they had with TSA. That in turn could reduce waiting times, especially at airports that have seasonal or non-scheduled operations.
  • Respondents said privatization appeared to enhance the quality of customer service at the checkpoints.
• A summary of the report was included in the "White Paper" section of AirportImprovement.com, and it provides a good overview of our executive summary section and its overall findings. 
• The white paper was also reported on in the February 22, 2016 issue of Skybrief newsletter published by the State Aviation Journal. 

New Client

Asheville Regional Airport (AVL)
Asheville, NC
 

A big welcome to our newest client, Asheville Regional Airport in Asheville, North Carolina. We will be working with AVL on governance issues, one of our core competencies. In 2013, AVL was identified as the best connected non-hub airport in America by MIT's International Center for Air Transportation, and has enjoyed continued growth since that time. AVL is classified by the Federal Aviation Administration as a small-hub airport. For more info on Asheville, visit their website at http://www.flyavl.com.

Conference Updates

Airports Council International - North America (ACI-NA) CEO Forum
February 3 - 5, Orlando, FL

As past Chair of the World Business Partners and Associates Board of Directors at ACI-NA, our President/CEO Steve Baldwin attended the 2016 CEO Forum conference sponsored by the ACI-NA, held from Feb. 3 - 5 at Orlando, FL. At this invitation-only event, airport directors, industry CEOs, and future leaders gathered in an intimate learning environment to counsel peers on evolving industry challenges. This year's highlighted themes included: the future of ground transportation, smart security, C-suite leadership, cost-effective management, and air service connectivity. Steve met with clients and prospects, discussing emerging issues that will impact airport competitiveness over the coming decade.

The 25th Annual Michigan Airport Conference
February 17 - 18, East Lansing, MI 

As part of our increased presence in the state of Michigan, SBA attended the 25th annual Michigan Airport Conference, co-sponsored by the Michigan Association of Airport Executives (MAAE) and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). Associate Spencer Gillette represented our firm at the conference, which was held at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center in East Lansing, MI. Spencer met with attendees—which included airport sponsors, managers, consultants, and others interested in airport management—and was able to capitalize on an excellent opportunity to meet leaders in aviation from throughout Michigan. The conference agenda included industry updates relevant to Michigan airports from both the MDOT and the FAA. Roundtables discussed issues related to safety and responding to crashes, small and large general aviation, and air carrier service. For more information about the conference or aviation industry issues in Michigan, visit: www.michairports.org or www.michigan.gov/aero

Client Spotlight


Congratulations to our clients for the following milestones and updates.

• Congratulations to our new client Asheville Regional Airport for serving a record number of passengers in 2015. With nearly 400,000 passengers enplaned in 2015, the record-setting year was 4% higher than 2014, which held the previous record for most passengers served. Congratulations to AVL on your growth. For an article on this milestone, click here. For more info about the airport, visit the history section of their website. 
• Congratulations are also in order for our client the Gerald R. Ford International Airport (Grand Rapids, MI) for having its best year ever in passenger numbers. More than 2.5 million travelers boarded in 2015, a 9.2% increase from the previous year. We are helping the airport to switch to a new form of governance, using the authority model, which will help sustain and support additional growth and development. For an article on their passenger milestone, click here. For more info about the airport, visit their website. 
• Congratulations to Mark Brewer, Airport Director at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in Manchester, NH, for being awarded the Distinguished Service Award from the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE). The AAAE notes that the award is presented to airport executives in honor of "exemplary career and contributions to the airport industry" and is one of the organization's highest levels of recognition. For more info on the award, click here. For more info on the airport, visit their website. Congratulations, Mark!
• Our long-time client Halifax Stanfield International Airport in Nova Scotia, Canada has a new restaurant opening in April: the Liquid Assets, a subsidiary of Ironworks Distillery. Ironworks was one of the winning respondents to an RFP that we helped to draft and evaluate responses. For more info on the new restaurant, read this article. For more info on Halifax, visit their website. For more info on how we can help your airport develop and distribute RFPs and evaluate and choose candidates, visit the "services" section of our website.