MASSPORT: About Massport: Pressroom: Archives 2003

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Logan Lands Federal Reimbursement For Bag Screening Program; Massachusetts Delegation, TSA Deliver $117m for First-in-Nation Program

July 7, 2003

As a result of efforts by top elected officials, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has agreed to reimburse the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) for 75% of the cost of construction of the 100% in-line baggage screening system at Logan International Airport. The agreement calls for an $87 million payment from the TSA bringing the total federal reimbursement amount to $117 million. The initial installment of $30 million was awarded to Massport in September 2002. Massport invested $146 million in the construction of new baggage screening facilities at Logan to ensure the TSA could meet the federally mandated deadline for screening of all checked baggage.

"In the wake of 9/11, Congress passed a law requiring every airport in the country to screen all passenger baggage - and to be able to do so by the end of last year. It was an enormous challenge, but we simply had to do it to protect the traveling public," said Senator Edward M. Kennedy. "Only one airport in the nation fully met the goal, and that was Logan. I'm enormously proud of the efforts of Massport and the hundreds of tradesmen and women who devoted the better part of last year to this ambitious project. They are a model for the nation, and have truly led the nation in protecting our citizens."

Congressman Stephen F. Lynch said, "When the new mandate for baggage screening was enacted, many airports from across the country argued that the deadline simply couldn't be met, that there just wasn't enough time or resources available to get the job done. Logan Airport was the exception. Built by union hands and guided by the vision of Admiral George Naccara and Massport CEO Craig Coy, the baggage screening system in Boston is second-to-none worldwide in efficiency, design, and most importantly, security. Their leadership and the work of the TSA to bring the system online is a very large part of the reason that Logan Airport will be one of the few airports in America to receive such a substantial federal reimbursement."

Massport CEO Craig P. Coy said, "We want to thank the entire construction team for working around the clock to meet the baggage screening deadline and our federal delegation for their strong support of the project and their efforts to secure reimbursement for Logan. By building a permanent in-line system, we kept our passenger terminals clear of bulky screening machines and enhanced customer service while achieving a security milestone."

In June 2002, Logan became the first major airport to have a permanent 100% in-line bag screening plan approved by the TSA. Immediately following the approval, the Massport team and construction crews worked seven-days-a-week to build the infrastructure required for the TSA to meets its Congressionally-mandated deadline for 100% bag screening.

More than 700 workers a day, laboring three shifts a day, completed approximately $146 million worth of construction and installation in less than six months. These men and women from 40 different states and representing almost 20 different unions completed a task that typically would have taken two years.

Massport developed Logan's 100% bag screening program in conjunction with the TSA and an internationally recognized design and construction team. The new inline system screens baggage away from public view, increasing security without sacrificing terminal space at airline check-in counters. The system includes 12 new bag handling rooms with 38 explosive detection machines and almost 3 miles of new baggage conveyor belts. These new rooms and equipment enable the TSA to efficiently screen the thousands of bags that pass through Logan every day.

Massport has taken a number of measures to maintain its position as a national leader in security, including the testing of infrared cameras, creating a security zone marked with buoys, and equipping specially trained State Police with submachine guns.