The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners has approved a US$753,979 grant from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for the design of a new checked baggage inline system (CBIS) for St Pete-Clearwater International Airport in Florida, US.
An additional grant for US$300,000 was already awarded from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Aviation Funding. The total design cost is US$1,070,302. The new automated baggage system will replace the current stand-alone system and provide for faster baggage processing, expediting the screening of checked passenger baggage.
Airport director Tom Jewsbury said, “Until recently, the TSA had been focusing its efforts and financial resources to renovate older baggage systems at larger airports that were among the first to install such baggage systems. Support in obtaining TSA grant funding will enable St Pete-Clearwater to design and ultimately construct a new baggage system that will accommodate Allegiant Air’s current and future baggage processing needs.”
PIE is also receiving a grant from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the second phase of major airfield improvements for the airport’s Taxiway Rehabilitation project. The project is part of a pavement rehabilitation program that will enhance airfield safety by rehabilitating the existing airfield pavements, constructing new pavements to meet new FAA design requirements, and update airfield lighting and signing to more energy-efficient systems.