This weekend marks the 20th anniversary of the federalization of Albany International Airport (ALB) in New York.
The TSA began working out of ALB on Sept. 4, 2002, one year after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, according to an Aug. 30 press release.
“The Transportation Security Administration was created 20 years ago approximately one year after the tragic terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001,” said Bart Johnson, TSA’s federal security director for Albany International Airport and 12 other airports. “The mission of the TSA is to protect our nation’s transportation system by outmatching a threat that has evolved since September 11.”
Philip Calderone, CEO of the Albany County Airport Authority, praised the TSA for the security they provide.
“The Transportation Security Administration continues to provide a high level of security procedures that are critical to the safety of our travelers, our airlines, employees and the safe operation of the Albany International Airport,” Calderone said.
Since the TSA was launched two decades ago, it has "developed and implemented strong security procedures, built a well-trained and highly skilled professional workforce, and introduced a wide array of state-of-the-art technologies to screen passengers, baggage and cargo," the release stated.
Technologies such as computed tomography, credential authentication technology and advanced imaging technology have greatly improved TSA’s detection and identity verification capabilities in ways “the initial group of TSA employees could have only imagined 20 years ago," according to the release.
