TSA Wants Higher Fees At Tulsa, All Other Airports

The Transportation Security Administration wants to raise the fee you have to pay for each airline ticket you buy.

If these security fee hikes are approved, it will be the first increase in ten years. 

Right now, if you're flying out of Tulsa International Airport or any other airport, you pay $2.50 per ticket.  But if this fee hike is approved, you'll will be paying $5 for a one-way ticket and $10 for a round trip ticket.  

As you can imagine the airlines are upset, arguing that the hike passes more costs onto travelers and will drive airline passengers away. 

"Air security is a national security function and it's something that all of us need to be behind as Americans, and the government should be picking up the cost of that," said Sean Kennedy, Airlines For America. 

A former Homeland Security official says the hike makes sense, saying it will help the TSA survive budget cuts. 

"It's also useful if you can tell where the benefits go for a particular program then the people who get the benefits generally should pay for it," said Stewart Baker.

The TSA says the extra money will also help buy and maintain costly security equipment.