TSA to Fire 30 Baggage Screeners at HNL

Pacific Business News: The Transportation Security Administration announced Friday that it plans to fire more than 30 of its employees working at Honolulu International Airport (HNL) and suspend an additional 12 workers following an investigation of alleged improper baggage screening.

The investigation, which began in late 2010, found that some checked baggage during one shift at an unspecified area of Honolulu International Airport was not screened properly, according to a TSA statement. The alleged misconduct affected a “limited number” of flights daily during the last few months of 2010, according to the statement. A number of the officers were put in nonsecurity-related positions earlier this year due to the investigation.

The federal security director and the assistant federal security director are included in the more than 30 employees in question. Stanford Miyamoto, who currently serves as deputy area director, has been named the acting federal security director, effective Friday. The employees are being notified and have approximately seven days to respond to the TSA’s decision. The employees do have the option to appeal the decision, according to TSA spokesman Nico Melendez.

The TSA said in the statement that it has taken steps to ensure that baggage is properly screened at Honolulu International Airport; National Deployment Force officers and management-level TSA staff are temporarily serving to supplement the current personnel at the airport.