Airport security more intense than ever

Some think the current airport security measures are absolutely appropriate, given the terrorist aggression that was inflicted one year ago today.

Others believe the Transportation Security Administration has gone overboard in some of its security recommendations.

Like it or not, getting on an airplane is not as simple as it used to be.

Cape Girardeau Regional Airport, like all airports, has seen a number of security enhancements.

"Sept. 11 changed the outlook of aviation security forever," said CGRA manager Bruce Loy. "A lot of the developments have been for the better. Some may be a bit exaggerated, but they're all for the safety of the general public."

The Cape Girardeau airport felt the security effects immediately. All airports were closed down Sept. 11.

On Sept. 12, airports were under aviation security level four. This meant that no unattended vehicles could be parked within 300 feet of the terminal building.

That forced the Cape Girardeau airport to create a gravel parking lot adjacent to the paved parking lot.

Loy said some patrons were frustrated, but most were very cooperative. The 300-foot rule was in effect until Oct. 24. Until then, the airport provided a shuttle as a courtesy for passengers.

Guard provided security

From Oct. 6 until March 28, the National Guard provided security at the Cape Girardeau airport. Since then, the TSA subsidized the Cape Girardeau Police Department to handle security for every flight.

Because of the increased security, passengers at airports nationwide have seen lengthy delays. Even a year later, lines at Lambert Airport in St. Louis can be up to two hours long, Loy said.

The long lines and bottlenecks in St. Louis are part of the reason the Cape Girardeau airport has seen a dramatic increase in business over the last year.

Steve Crain, who lives in Cape Girardeau and has a business in Mound City, Ill., said he flies from the Cape Girardeau airport seven or eight times each year. He said the waits in St. Louis are inconsistent. Sometimes he can get on a plane immediately, while other times the wait is more than an hour.

"Here, you pretty much always know how long the wait will be because there are limited passengers," he said.

Some people -- like Jim Spantgos of Kelso -- have limited their flying since the attacks.

Last week, he was flying for the first time since the attacks. He was flying for business but said on a couple occasions he drove eight to 10 hours when he probably would have flown before.

"There are a lot of places I would've flown, but I'm driving now," he said.

TSA agents arriving

Though the lines are shorter in Cape Girardeau than other bigger airports, security has intensified locally as well.

The TSA, the new organization created by President George W. Bush, already has established a new check-in area at the airport. The purpose of the new section is to separate those who have been screened from those who have not, making the final waiting area a "sterile" zone.

In the coming weeks, the airport will feature some new technology and more security personnel. Fifteen TSA agents will be employed at the airport here and will work two shifts, meaning six or seven will be at the airport at all times. On a small flight, Loy said, there could be more security agents than passengers.

The airport will either be equipped with an explosive trace detector or an explosive-detection device.

The ETD is a wand that can be scraped on baggage and can "sniff out" a minute trace of the materials used to make explosives. The EDD is like a big X-ray machine. Based on the enormous size of the EDD and the relatively small terminal, Loy said he expects the Cape Girardeau airport to use the explosive trace detector.

Crain said the extra security may be reassuring to some passengers, but he is among those who believe the extra measures may not be worth the cost.

"I think it will probably be too expensive to sustain," he said. "It's just not realistic."

bmiller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127

MORE FLYING

The Cape Girardeau Regional Airport experienced a significant increase in the number of departing passengers since Sept. 11, partly due to increased security measures causing longer lines at larger airports, airport manager Bruce Loy said. The airport saw a 19.4 percent increase from September 2001 through July 2002 and a 28.4 percent increase from January through July 2002. 2001 2000

September 441 591

October 626 642

November 643 518

December 648 555 2002 2001

January 691 538

February 773 474

March 736 561

April 781 629

May 863 715

June 847 634

July 796 722

SOURCE: Cape Girardeau Regional Airport