FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 21, 2013

CONTACT: Stefan Friedman (646) 241-7786

GLOBAL GATEWAY ALLIANCE PUSHES TSA TO SIT DOWN AND DISCUSS BRINGING NEW YORK AREA AIRPORTS INTO THE 21ST CENTURY On August 9, 2013, the Board of the Global Gateway Alliance (GGA) sent a letter to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator John Pistole requesting a meeting and outlining several steps that the TSA can take to improve the experience of the 110 million passengers who use New York Citys area airports each year. The Agency has not responded, leading to the release of the letter to urge the agency to sit down with the organization [A copy of the letter is included below] In the letter, GGA offers suggestions that include the expansion of TSA PreCheck to all of the terminals at JFK, LaGuardia and Newark to help ease what are traditionally the longest wait times in the country, and exploring the use of mobile applications to convey real time information to passengers about lines and help manage and minimize wait times. GGA Board Chairman Joseph Sitt urged Administrator Pistole and the TSA to respond to their meeting request. New Yorks airports are some of the busiest in the world, but they are also some of the most problematic for air travelers, and TSA leads the way in passenger complaints about the airport experience said Sitt. We strongly request that the TSA takes the time to sit down with a business, labor, government and academia coalition that has a real stake in creating 21st Century airports in New York. Stephen Sigmund, Executive Director of GGA, added: We want to work with the TSA to balance an improved customer experience with safety, but we cannot move forward if the Agency responds with silence, said Sigmund. Right now, there is a unique recognition in the New York region of the importance of improving our airports and and an opportunity for the TSA to change perceptions of its performance. We encourage the TSA to take advantage of this opportunity. ###

ABOUT GGA Global Gateway Alliance (GGA), was established to address the major challenges facing the metropolitan regions airports and related infrastructure that, if left unaddressed, will serve as a major impediment to the long-term growth of New York City and surrounding areas. By harnessing the expertise of leaders in business, government, academia, labor and other sectors, we seek to tackle these challenges head-on and serve as the leading advocate in an effort to improve our airports and facilitate the continued growth of the region. For more information regarding the Global Gateway Alliance, please visit the websitewww.globalgatewayalliance.org, or email info@globalgatewayalliance.org. Follow GGA on Twitter @GGA_NYNJ and Like the organization on Facebook at http://on.fb.me/UsqxGw. GGAs board of directors includes: Joe Sitt (Chairman), CEO, Thor Equities, Kathryn Wylde, President of the Partnership for New York City; Joseph Spinnato, President of the Hotel Association of New York City; William Rudin, CEO of Rudin Management Company, Inc. and Chairman of ABNY; Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union; Dan Glickman former Congressman and U.S. Agriculture Secretary; Jared Kushner, Owner of Kushner Properties and the New York Observer; Alvin S. Trenk, Chairman and CEO of Air Pegasus Corp; Mitchell Moss, Henry Hart Rice Professor of Urban Policy and Planning at the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University; Peter Ward, President of the Hotel Trades Council on New York, and David Hopkins, Director of Aviation at the New York City Economic Development Corporation. A copy of GGAs letter to the TSA is below.

August 9, 2013 The Honorable John S. Pistole Administrator Transportation Security Administration Department of Homeland Security 601 South 12th Street Arlington, Virginia 20598

Dear Administrator Pistole: We represent the Board of the Global Gateway Alliance (GGA), a business, labor, government and academia coalition advocating for New York City-area air travelers. We respectfully ask that you meet with us to discuss ways that we can work together to help improve the TSAs customer service without compromising security. New Yorks airports are not only vital cogs in the nation's air-travel system, but are essential to the regions economic stability and growth. GGA was founded to improve the passenger experience for our airports' 110 million annual passengers. We understand that delivering robust security while providing a good customer experience is no easy task. However, we are convinced that by dealing with travelers more efficiently, TSA will encourage people to be more cooperative in doing their part to keep our planes and airports secure. Think of it as meeting half-way on the security line. To that end, we suggest a few ideas: The TSA should implement a customer service training program for security officers at New York City area airports to help them develop a consistently customer-focused approach. The TSA should adopt U.S. Senator Charles Schumers call for mandated passenger advocates at security checkpoints, so passengers have a go-to liaison when problems arise.

The TSA plan to expand PreCheck should start with bringing the program to all of the terminals at JFK, LaGuardia and Newark to help ease what are traditionally the longest wait times in the country. The TSA should open PreCheck Enrollment Centers at the New York metropolitan airports to encourage widespread participation in the program. The TSA should add agents to New York metropolitan airports to meet the tremendous passenger demand that comes with New Yorks status as gateway to the nation and the world. The TSA should explore the use of mobile applications to convey information to passengers about lines and help manage and minimize wait times.

Collectively, we represent businesses and organizations that serve millions of customers a year. From marquee international corporations to worldwide retailers and hotel chains, these businesses have decades of customer service expertise. We believe there is a real opportunity for collaborative improvement, to the benefit of the millions of travelers who pass through our airports each year. We look forward to a productive, in-person discussion in the near future. Please contact us at sigmund@globalgatewayalliance.org or (917) 459-7794 to set-up a meeting at your earliest convenience. Sincerely, Joe Sitt
Chairman, GGA CEO, Thor Equities

Joseph Spinnato
Board Member, GGA President & CEO, The Hotel Association of NYC

Stuart Appelbaum
Board Member, GGA President, Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union

Alvin Trenk
Board Member, GGA Chairman & CEO, Air Pegasus Group

Dan Glickman
Board Member, GGA Executive Director, Aspen Institute Congressional Program

Kathryn Wylde
Board Member, GGA President & CEO, Partnership for NYC

David Hopkins
Board Member, GGA Director of Aviation, NYC Economic Development Corp.

Stephen Sigmund
Executive Director Global Gateway Alliance

Mitchell Moss
Board Member, GGA Professor, NYU Wagner School of Public Service