McCarran International Airport Hosts Key Events  

McCarran International Airport recently hosted two key events for Airports Council International – North America, the primary trade group representing the interests of airports in the United States and Canada.

Clark County Director of Aviation Randall H. Walker is this year’s chairman of ACI-NA’s executive board. In that role, Walker in February welcomed approximately 120 industry leaders to the 2008 Winter Board of Directors Meeting & CEO Forum at Lake Las Vegas. There the group shaped the Council’s annual agenda, including identifying several “hot button” issues that require an immediate call to action.

Walker and his fellow airport leaders agreed to press the federal government to support funding to install more inline baggage screening systems at various U.S. airports. This technology, which has been is use at McCarran for more than two years, offers proven benefits including improved security and efficiency when processing checked baggage.

Another critical issue for 2008 involves Transportation Security Administration screeners. These front line workers play a critical role in securing the nation’s transportation systems. In recent years, the number of screeners deployed nationwide has not increased. However, screeners’ job responsibilities have ballooned thanks to new procedures and a rising number of air travelers. ACI-NA’s board believes the federal government must quickly hire, train and deploy additional TSA screeners.

In early March, McCarran hosted ACI-NA’s Public Safety & Security Conference, which drew another 200 attendees to the Westin Casuarina. Walker kicked off that gathering with a March 4 keynote address that outlined the ACI-NA board’s concerns for 2008.

Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., also spoke, saying many of the issues now concerning airport and aviation leaders are unlikely to be resolved in Washington this year. November’s elections and the impending transition to a new White House administration could preoccupy many members of Congress during 2008, she explained.

Walker and Berkley also spoke about concerns with the REAL ID Act, a new federal law that could force TSA screeners to reject many travelers’ driver’s licenses as a form of identification at airport checkpoints if those traveler’s home states are not complying with the act’s requirements before mid-May.

Both Walker and Berkley fear that REAL ID’s implementation will inconvenience thousands of unsuspecting air travelers, leading to increased checkpoint delays heading into the start of the busy summer travel season.

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