February 06, 2006

New fast helicopter to JFK to include TSA checkpoint

When US Helicopter begins its eight-minute service to JFK airport on March 13 for $139 one-way, it will include federal security screeners at the Wall Street heliport allowing some flyers to bypass security at the airport.

The Transportation Security Administration will spend $560,000 this year to set up and operate the heliport checkpoint. But it will pull staff from airports because Congress has limited their number nationwide to 45,000 since 2002, the New York Times reports.

The airport checkpoint staffing reduction comes on top of a 6.5 percent decrease the TSA ordered for New York area airports this past summer. "In July, it decided to reduce the maximum number of screeners at the region's three largest airports, Kennedy, La Guardia and Newark Liberty International, to 3,542 from 3,791," according to the New York Times.

US Helicopter plans to start weekday service next month with three Sikorsky S76 helicopters, each carrying up to 12 passengers on 12 hourly flights from downtown to the American Airlines terminal at JFK. The company plans to add service to JFK from the East 34 Street Heliport in April -- also with a TSA checkpoint -- and service to LaGuardia from both heliports in the spring. Eventually it hopes to add service from the 30th street heliport and to Newark Airport.

Earlier: US Helicopter to charge $139 to JFK starting in March
Air record: nearly 100 mln NY passengers in 2005
12 minutes over Manhattan with Liberty Helicopters
Another helicopter crashes into East River
British tourist in serious condition after copter crash
Tourist helicopter crashes in East River near Wall St.
Helicopter security switching to TSA

February 6, 2006 08:16 AM in Arrivology

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