The Homeland Security Inspector General reported last month that the airlines are underpaying the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) an estimated $14.5 million in passenger security fees every year.

The TSA agreed and said it will audit the airlines to verify they
are remitting the proper amounts. Passengers pay a maximum of $10
per round trip to help pay for security screening at airports.

Transfer of funds from another fee, which airlines pay to the government to fund airport security infrastructure, was not calculated fairly or accurately by the airlines, according to the report, signed by DHS Inspector General Richard Skinner. He found that airlines were underreporting what they owed.

The airlines contend that the process to determine those costs– which is based on the number of passengers carried–was flawed from the outset and they are appealing
to the TSA.