The Transportation Security Administration is weighing the possibility of doing away with passenger screening at dozens of small- and medium-sized airports across the U.S., CNN reported Wednesday, citing senior TSA officials and internal documents.
A TSA working group of roughly 20 people, including a representative of the agency's administrator's office says the proposal to cut screening at airports serving aircraft with 60 seats or fewer could result in a "small (non-zero) undesirable increase in risk related to additional adversary opportunity," according to internal documents obtained by CNN.
The documents suggest the decision to eliminate some screening could save as much as $115 million annually. The savings could then be invested into improving security at larger airports.
According to the proposal, passengers and their luggage arriving from smaller airports would be screened upon arrival at major airports for connecting flights instead of joining the already screened population at the larger airport as is current practice.
At least one unidentified TSA field leader at a large airport called the proposal "so dangerous" while CNN terrorism analyst Paul Cruickshank said it was "stunning" the idea was even on the table.
"If you have an aircraft of 50 or so people being blown out of the sky there is going to be a great amount of panic and there will indeed be significant economic reverberations, and of course significant loss of life," he added.
The polarizing proposal comes one month after it was reported the agency was recruiting thousands of security officers, canine handlers and other positions amid historic security checkpoint lines. What's more, the proposal appears to contradict recent statements made by TSA Chief David Pekoske, who suggested the agency needed to extend its attention beyond checkpoints.
The agency also recently extended the limit on carry-on powder to international flights.
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