The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is increasingly looking at the growing issue of too much hand baggage placing extraordinary pressure on security lines and aircraft cabins, while US airport shopping is also being negatively impacted.

 

International Association of Airport Duty Free Stores Executive Director Michael Payne says this issue is reducing the amount of remaining time passengers have to shop once through security, as well as dampening the mood they are in for spending money once they are through.

 

He said TSA is now looking closely at this issue and whether there are more effective storage options than the current model, which is currently ’buckling under the strain’.

 

He told TRBusiness: “I think you will see some information on that in the coming months, although I am not quite sure how they are going to sort that out.

 

“From our perspective, any time the lines get slow or are delayed it is not helpful if you want to shop on the other side of security.

 

“Of course, if the airlines would do something about checked baggage fees [i.e. charge less-Ed] then people would be more likely to check their bags in rather than take them through the security line.”

 

Payne added that this issue is also ‘all about the false readings’ security staff mostly get from tightly packed bags and the time it takes to halt the security line,open the bags and examine the contents.

 

 

He said this issue has now been earmarked as a priority concern for action by TSA under its relatively new leadership.

 

An exclusive interview with the IAADFS’ Michael Payne appears in the October Cannes edition of TRBusiness.