This month Aspen Pitkin County Airport is experiencing its highest passenger volume in almost two decades. Aspen Public Radio takes a look at what this means for a short-staffed Transportation Security Administration.
The 30, year-round, TSA workers at Sardy Field are joined this week by ten additional security workers to accommodate the increased demand that winter tourism puts on the small facility.
TSA spokesman Nico Melendez says the additional officers are brought to airports when needed for events like the Superbowl or Aspen’s tourism influx.
High-season times require long shifts on back-to-back days. Some security officers, who work up to 13 or 14 hours a day, coming in from Rifle and Glenwood Springs, don’t have time to go home to sleep. Melendez says that unlike flight crews, there are no regulations in place ensuring TSA agents are properly rested.
"However we rotate them every 30 minutes so that things don’t become too routine,” said Melendez.
Compared to last year, passengers coming through Sardy Field this month have increased fourteen percent. January already has a nine per cent increase in passenger bookings.
Airlines have resumed their winter schedules. American has additional flights to Chicago and Dallas/Fort Worth. Delta has direct flights to Minneapolis/St Paul and Atlanta, and United has up to 5 flights daily to both Chicago and Los Angeles. Airport Director John Kinney says Sardy Field is the regional leader in terms of moving passengers.
Melendez denies that Aspen’s TSA agents are overworked. He says while passenger numbers are rising nationwide, “anecdotally” the TSA has kept up with the demand.
