Headaches from long lines and staffing problems at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) have led to the replacement of its head of security as it urgently seeks a solution to the issues and criticisms faced over recent weeks.

The decision was recently made to replace Kelly Hoggan, not because of any wrongdoing, it was claimed, but because a "different approach" was needed in order to get the organization back on track and deal with mounting pressure from the public and airlines.

As reported here last month, passengers at airports across the country have been facing unacceptable wait times when passing through security. As a result, it has become common for passengers to miss their flights, and hundreds of flights to be delayed waiting for passengers to pass through screening.

With a reduced workforce capped at 7 percent lower than in 2014, extra security measures put in place following terrorist attacks and threats, and rising peak time demand, it has created a situation frequently criticized in the media. Many airports are now turning to private security firms to carry out their screening.

On May 12, a hearing was conducted on mismanagement at the TSA. It was following this meeting that Hoggan was removed from his post, with Darby LaJoye, formerly second-in-command of the Office of Security Operations stepping into the role on a temporary basis.

Additional criticisms have been aimed at the agency since it became apparent that large bonuses were paid to its top staff, including Hoggan, who reportedly received a $90,000 bonus, at a time when such chaos was being faced. They also come at a time when it was revealed staff have routinely missed weapons smuggled by undercover agents during screening.

Attempts to stem the problems with airport wait times have so far fallen short of the mark. A scheme encouraging passengers to sign up for a PreCheck screening program has seen only a fraction of the take-up it had hoped for. The TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger said that in replacing Hoggan, the agency is looking for a “different approach” to finding a solution to its woes.

In the short term, Neffenger has put a cap on all excessive bonuses, limiting them to $10,000. But the issues facing the TSA are not solely caused by Hoggan and go much deeper within the organization.

The agency is underfunded and taxes on passenger tickets earmarked to fund it have reportedly been diverted elsewhere. Without the funding it needs for a full complement of agents working its checkpoints and trained in advanced screening programs, the long lines will continue.

A request from Congress to urgently divert $28 million into the TSA to fund 2,784 additional full-time positions on top of the 768 newly-trained agents expected to start working in June will provide some relief in the short term.

The culture within the organization has led to low morale, where staff are not supported and whistleblowers are punished. Changing this as a priority will set the TSA on the right footing to cope with the pressures put on it in this time of rising passenger numbers and global threats from terrorism.