Five Transportation Security Administration workers at a southwest Florida airport have been fired and another 38 suspended after an investigation found they failed to perform random screenings last year, according to an article from The Associated Press.
The 43 disciplined workers, a combination of front-line screeners and supervisors, represent about 15 percent of the roughly 280 TSA employees at Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers, the article said.
The random screenings, according to nbc.com, are a secondary component of the screening process, meant to keep security measures unpredictable and catch potential terrorists unawares.
The News-Press reported Monday that it’s one of the largest disciplinary actions TSA has taken in the agency’s 10-year history.
The TSA said that during a two-month period last year, as many as 400 passengers who underwent routine screening at the airport never got additional random checks, AP said.
According to the article, about 3.8 million passengers flew through the airport last year.