Austin American-Statesman: Congressman sends letters. TSA boss reacts. Austin's bustling airport to get help with lines

The leader of the federal Transportation Security Administration told U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett Friday that he is dispatching more agents and will take multiple other steps to expedite passenger screening at the bustling Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. 

The assurances -- relayed through Doggett's office -- came after the Austin Congressman sent letters Tuesday to the TSA and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency seeking urgent help after what he described as an "embarrassing failure" at the airport March 28 in which security lines spilled outside and countless passengers missed flights. 

Doggett personally witnessed the chaos at the growing airport. He made requests earlier this week -- which the American-Statesman obtained hours after they were sent -- which echoed earlier efforts for aid from the airport's director in early March.

The airport has faced embarrassing headlines in recent weeks as videos and pictures showed passengers queued up outside terminals waiting to just get inside and closer to the security lines -- only to miss flights. Untold customers left rental cars outside the terminals in desperation to make their flights. 

Doggett's office said in a statement that in a Friday afternoon meeting between Doggett and TSA Administrator David Pekoske, Pekoske said that more than a dozen agents were on their way to Austin and would arrive by Monday. 

The exact number of agents was not immediately clear. Airport officials had asked for 100 new TSA agents and to retain 35 national officers who were set to leave in March. Doggett said that Pekoske pledged to keep the 35 national officers in Austin and add at least 15 more.

However, according to Doggett, Pekoske said the agency has a national standard to process passengers through security within 30 minutes and would add more agents "as required" to meet that standard.

The TSA also agreed to provide a 15 percent bonus to retain agents, particularly as higher-paying employers come to Austin.

Additionally, the Austin airport is engaging in a new federal program to employ staff who are not fully certified TSA officers to help get people through security faster, Doggett's office said in a written statement. It also was not clear how quickly that program would be in place.

"Each of these steps should help move passengers through security lines more expeditiously," Doggett's statement said. 

Airport officials also had made requests for other assistance, including more K-9 units and new equipment. Doggett said those should arrive by the end of the summer. 

Doggett's office said in a statement that he "will be conferring with the administrator later this month to review progress."

There was no update Friday on the city's or Doggett's request for more border agents to help process passengers arriving international destinations.

Austin has seen explosive growth in its airport in the past couple of years -- often viewed as a snapshot of the city's population. 

The airport has added dozens of new flights, many international, in the past two years -- up to 280 today from 219 in 2019. The airport was last expanded in 2019, when the city added nine gates, upping the number of outgoing passengers the facility was designed to accommodate to 15 million a year.

That year, a record 17.3 million people flew out of the airport.