Essay - What Price Safety? A Study of Security Costs at Dfw...

What Price Safety? A Study of Security Costs at DFW

Dallas/Fort Worth Airport initiated some big changes in 2000, changes that will make air travel safer, easier and more convenient for our customers and make getting around inside the Airport quicker ***** simpler - improvements that ***** serve the needs ***** our customers well into the 21st Century."

What a difference a year can make. In 2000, ***** Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport was most concerned with providing "world-class service and amenities." Since declaring their intent in their 2000 Annual Report, which ***** released to the public in early 2001, safety and security issues have come out of the shadows. In the wake of September 11, 2001, Airport officials, ***** travel*****g public, the media, the industry and ***** government have struggled to reassess the role of security and incorporate stricter rules into our daily lives.

***** after ***** events ***** September 11, ***** officials did an outst*****ding job of communicating with the ***** and transforming itself ***** a secure and reassuring environment for ***** 61 million travelers passing through it every year. A total of 22 press releases, including 6 addresses from senior management, were issued between the *****th and ***** end of the month. While this pace has declined in recent months, ***** has not yet returned to the rate of two press releases per month ***** were standard prior to September. The emphasis on frequent and open communicati*****s has apparently had a positive effect, as travelers are returning to Dallas skies in greater numbers than projected. In fact, DFW and American Airlines *****ly announced ***** addition of 21 nonstop ***** flights between April ***** June 2002.

As important as communication is, it must be backed up with actions to yield these kinds of results. Some of the steps taken by DFW in September to improve security *****clude:

Requiring all terminal employees working in secure areas to pass through passenger ***** checkpoints and increased screenings prior to reporting for work.

Closing all "*****line only" au*****mated entrances.

Susp*****ing employee train *****.

***** all knives/cutting instruments from commercial kitchens and storage areas.

***** the same time it was implementing these and other enhanced secur*****y measures, the ***** was adjusting its annual budget. A $4.5 ***** loss was projected ***** fiscal ***** 2001, which ended September 30. To cover the shortfall, an immediate budget cut ***** $10 million ***** made as part of a contingency plan. Ongoing capital development *****s, however, remained in progress and on budget. ***** Airport is in ***** first stage of a C*****pital Development Program that is projected to cost $2.6 billion and take five years to complete.

Among the ***** developments ***** continuing as planned were ***** construction of a new terminal (Terminal D) and an Automated People Mover. Terminal D has been referred to as the "Crown Jewel" ***** the Capital ***** Program. This 2 ***** square-foot terminal with room for 23 wide-body swing gates, 120 ticketing positions, a Federal Cus*****ms Inspection Facility capable of processing 2,800 passengers