WASHINGTON – Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA) President and CEO Kevin M. Burke today issued the below statement on South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem’s confirmation to serve as Secretary of Homeland Security:

“Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA) congratulates South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem on her confirmation to serve as Secretary of Homeland Security. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plays a critical role in ensuring the safety and security of our nation’s airports, and we are encouraged by her pledge to address pressing challenges such as federal cybersecurity efforts and evolving security threats. We will encourage Noem and her staff to address staffing shortages at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). As airports nationwide brace for increased air travel, these agencies are vital to ensure the efficient processing of passengers and cargo. ACI-NA and our member airports look forward to working with Noem and her team at DHS to address evolving challenges in the aviation industry while keeping all passengers safe.”

 

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About ACI-NA

Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) represents local, regional, and state governing bodies that own and operate commercial airports in the United States and Canada. ACI-NA member airports enplane more than 95 percent of the domestic and virtually all the international airline passenger and cargo traffic in North America. Approximately 380 aviation-related businesses are also members of ACI-NA, providing goods and services to airports. Collectively, U.S. airports support more than 11.5 million jobs and account for $1.4 trillion in economic activity – or more than seven percent of the total U.S. GDP. Canadian airports support 405,000 jobs and contribute C$35 billion to Canada’s GDP. Learn more at www.airportscouncil.org.