Lines and the airport experience

Re “3rd Risk Warning for LAX in 3 Years,” Feb. 18

It is unfortunate The Times chose to run an outdated photograph with this story about a Rand Corp. report on security at Los Angeles International Airport. The photo showed a crush of Thanksgiving holiday travelers lined up outside Terminal 1 waiting to go through passenger screening. It must have been taken before 2005, because there were no such lines this past Thanksgiving, after extraordinary progress made by a partnership of Los Angeles World Airports, the Transportation Security Administration and airlines to reduce congestion and lines at LAX.

A 45% increase in the number of passenger screening lanes and the installation of scores of airline automated check-in kiosks have combined to dramatically improve the travel experience for the more than 60 million people who use LAX each year. More has been done and invested to improve security at LAX since 9/11 than at any airport in America.

We know more remains to be done -- and will be done -- but give us a break by using current photos to inform your readers.

PAUL HANEY

Deputy Executive Director

Los Angeles World Airports

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Regarding the necessity of reducing crowds in terminals, it would help immensely if the airlines provided separate lines for time-consuming check-in problems. So often it happens that more than one line may be held up by some problem or other, sometimes, it seems, involving a complete rerouting and re-ticketing of an extended trip. If these people could be sent to a special troubleshooting agent, the rest could be checked in expeditiously and sent on their way to the gates.

JULIE MAY

Los Angeles