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TSA Was Ready for Some Football

News & Happenings

February 4, 2008

TSA was ready for some football, the Super Bowl in fact — played Sunday near Phoenix. And even with 58 extra flights and charters — a 9 percent increase — departing Monday from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), TSA expects seamless operations at the checkpoint.

In fact, TSA already had surge plans in motion on Thursday, Jan. 31, in order to handle many of the nearly 180,000 daily fans who attended the FBR Golf Open in Phoenix over Super Bowl weekend.

All available officers were deployed at Phoenix and Williams Gateway Airport in nearby Mesa. Twelve-hour rotations were in effect in critical areas, and 12 national deployment officers supplemented screening staffs. Bolstering security were transportation security inspectors, federal air marshals and canine teams.

"There has been an exceptional integration of effort and resources among officials from the cities, county, tribal authorities and the state of Arizona," said Annie Nelson, acting federal security director at Phoenix Sky Harbor airport.

On top of Phoenix's 670 regularly scheduled daily flights, seven nearby general-aviation airports experienced surges, with Scottsdale Air Park and Glendale Airport at full capacity with 380 and 200 aircraft, respectively.