Improving airport security screening checkpoint operations in the US via paced system design

Since its creation, the Transportation Security Administration, U.S Department of Homeland Security, has tested, and evaluated at least ten passenger screening technologies even though not all of them have been deployed. We evaluate the screening strategies that have been used by focusing on the performance of airport security screening checkpoint operations. A descriptive model is formulated to include design variables and performance measures of the screening process. Based on the real screening time data collected in a range of airports in the US, we develop and apply the speed of inspection operating characteristics curves in the operation simulation and validation processes. A paced system design is proposed to improve the overall performance of the airport screening operations. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.