GBTA: TSA PreCheck is Critical to Frequent Travelers

Alexandria, VA (March 24, 2015) – The House Homeland Security Committee’s Transportation Security Subcommittee is hosting a hearing on Wednesday to discuss the PreCheck program and risk-based approaches to passenger security. Last week, the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security issued a report, revealing that TSA clears a convicted felon to use “PreCheck” lanes at airports. The statement below can be attributed to Michael W. McCormick, Executive Director and COO of the Global Business Travel Association.

“Business travelers want a secure aviation system, which includes passenger checkpoints in airports that minimize hassles and delays. PreCheck, Global Entry and other risk-based programs are essential for those road warriors who travel the most, as delays getting through airport security cost them time and money.

However, there still needs to be stringent oversight and review by the TSA to ensure these trusted traveler programs are working as intended. Situations like the one cited by the Office of Inspector General have the potential to undermine confidence in the airport system as a whole.

GBTA appreciates the difficult and dangerous job TSA officers face keeping our travelers out of harm’s way and supports full funding and expansion of these risk-based programs at current and new airports. TSA should expand PreCheck participation by opening up eligibility to larger populations and continue adding PreCheck lanes at qualified airports as quickly as possible, working toward broad-scale implementation.”

Contact: Colleen Lerro Gallagher, +1 703-236-1133, cgallagher@gbta.org
Gayle Kansagor, +1 202-295-8775, gayle.kansagor@harbourgrp.com

About the Global Business Travel Association
The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) is the world’s premier business travel and meetings trade organization headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area with operations on six continents. GBTA’s 9,000-plus members manage more than $345 billion of global business travel and meetings expenditures annually. GBTA and the GBTA Foundation deliver world-class education, events, research, advocacy and media to a growing global network of more than 28,000 travel professionals and 125,000 active contacts. To learn how business travel drives lasting business growth, gbta.org