Screening Seamless for Championship Bowl Game
News & Happenings
January 17, 2007
Let's Kick Things Off in Ohio and Florida … »
Local TSA efforts in Florida, Ohio and Arizona ensured seamless security screening for thousands of excited fans traveling to and from the January 8 Bowl Championship Series football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Florida Gators.
During the two weekends before the game, Ohio and Florida airports had their greatest surges in passenger traffic. On January 6, Port Columbus International and Rickenbacker International airports in Ohio screened nearly 5,000 more passengers than usual.
To effectively meet the surge, those airports used lessons learned during Ohio State’s three most recent invitations to the Fiesta Bowl. Most important best practices: a weekly communication update of charter schedules and working closely with airport operations, air carriers, and Lane Aviation, which handles ticket counter and ramp services for charters at both airports.
The airport created a fun, relaxing atmosphere for passengers. Ticket counters were decorated with scarlet and gray and at checkpoints, airport operations set up mini-tailgate parties for departing passengers.
TSA’s efforts drew praise. “Thanks for all your assistance on Saturday,” wrote American Airlines Station Manager Frank Martino. “Your supervisors and staff worked very diligently to screen both bags and passengers. Not a hitch in any of my regular flights or charter operation. You had your hands full with all the bags and rose to the challenge.”
Meanwhile, at Gainesville (Fla.) Regional Airport, hometown of the soon-to-be national champions, passenger flow was up 300 percent. The Category III airport normally sees only a few 50- to 70-passenger planes a day. But on the two Saturdays before the game, there were seven charters in the 737 and MD80 class and a 757 commercial flight that typically carries more than 200 passengers.
To handle that traffic, all Transportation Security Officers worked Saturday, as did key managers. And six Transportation Security Officers from other airports came in to help.
TSA at Gainesville also worked with the airport, charter companies, University of Florida and others to prevent conflicts between flights.
