The head of the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has denied that the agency has any plans to stop conducting security screenings at smaller airports, the Los Angeles Times reports.

“I can tell you categorically that is not going to happen,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. “We are not eliminating federal screening at any airport.”

Pekoske was reacting to media reports on internal TSA documents that discussed the feasibility of ending security screening at about 150 of the nation’s 440 airports — a proposal intended to save $115 million annually.

The TSA administration also revealed that the agency is considering adding a new security line where travellers would be subject to inspection by bomb-sniffing dogs.

“Canines are very, very effective at detecting explosives,” Pekoske said. “In the future, we are going to look at the potential for having a dedicated lane for those canine-screened passengers.”

Screening by dogs is seen as quicker than standard security lines but slower than the security protocols used on TSA Precheck travellers, Pekoske said.

tsa.gov