In yet another sign of the travel industry’s recovery, the Transportation and Security Administration (TSA) announced they’re seeking to hire more than 6,000 airport security screening officers by summer 2021.
TSA is actively recruiting transportation security officers (TSOs) at 430 airports nationwide based on seasonal travel trends and the steady progress of vaccinating the public against COVID-19.
“TSOs are a critical first line defense in securing our nation’s commercial air transportation system,” said Melanie Harvey, acting Executive Assistant Administrator for TSA’s Security Operations. “Each day, our officers screen hundreds of thousands of airline travelers ensuring they arrive at their destinations safely. We expect to screen a higher number of travelers regularly by the summer months and will need additional officers to support our critical mission.”
TSA screened 761,233 travelers in January 2021, a 61% decrease from January 2020 when they screened 1,997,751. But as of this writing, 841,287 passengers have been screened in February, an 11% increase. More than 66 million COVID-19 vaccines have been administered, and with more on the way travelers who prefer to be fully vaccinated before traveling again will be out in full force. TSA’s anticipation is just another sign that the industry’s recovery is just over the horizon.
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