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American Airlines To Spend $4M To Help Reduce Security Lines

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FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - Fort Worth-based American Airlines says they will spend millions to help ease long airport security lines.

The airline said it will spend $4 million to hire contractors who will help manage checkpoint lines in an effort to ease passengers through security quicker.

The airline's CEO, Robert Isom, called the step a decent start. But he said the only way to fix long airport lines is to increase staffing for the Transportation Security Administration. Former head of the Dallas FBI office and security expert, Danny Defenbaugh said it shouldn't be the airlines job.

"Why should a privately owned business, spend its own money, to do something that the government is contracted to do?" he asked.

Defenbaugh sees the problem getting worse before it gets better.

"You've got a government accounting office that's suppose to be unbiased. Have them come in and inspect it and see where the work inefficiencies are," he said.

Texas congressman and chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, Michael McCaul said his panel will hold a hearing ahead of Memorial Day weekend on how Congress might be able to help.

(©2016 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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