Delta CEO: Fliers Will Pay For Higher Security Fee

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The CEO of Delta Air Lines says a bigger security fee being considered in Congress will be paid by travelers, not by the airlines themselves.

CEO Richard Anderson calls the fee a tax, and says it means fares are going up. He says the increase will not be absorbed by Delta.

Congress is debating a budget that would add $5 to each nonstop, round-trip ticket. The money is for a Transportation Security Administration fee, which already stands at $5 per ticket.

Airlines have long complained that sales taxes, security fees, and airport taxes drive up the cost of their tickets unfairly.

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