ORLANDO, Fla. \u2013 The chief executive officer of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA) told Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings in an e-mail that the airport will review operational and queue-management procedures following a traveler\u2019s complaint about an encounter with an officer from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).<\/p>\n
The man who filed the complaint asked News 6 not to use his name. News 6 obtained the e-mail the man sent Mayor Demings \u2014 who sits on GOAA\u2019s board \u2014 informing him of an encounter he allegedly had with a CBP officer earlier this month.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast night I encountered what I perceived as a less-than favorable interaction with a CBP officer when attempting to re-enter the country at MCO,\u201d the man wrote in an email to Demings on Jan. 15.<\/p>\n
The man\u2019s e-mail included an attachment that he characterized as a \u201cformal complaint,\u201d in which he described the encounter.<\/p>\n
The complaint alleged that after airport queue staff directed the man and his girlfriend to proceed to a specific customs line, the officer in question \u201cimmediately displayed hostility\u201d and said that they \u201cshould not have approached.\u201d<\/p>\n
The man described the officer\u2019s behavior as \u201chostile, confrontational, and disproportionate to the situation.\u201d <\/p>\n
When he and his girlfriend offered to return to the line, the man claimed, the officer \u201cescalated further and stated that, \u2018kicking us out of the line was within his power.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
During questioning, the man recounted, the officer accused him of \u201cdrinking the entire time\u201d he was out of the country. The man also said the officer \u201cdirected inappropriate personal comments\u201d toward his girlfriend, asking her \u201cwhy she was not married to me and questioned why she was single.\u201d<\/p>\n
News 6 reached out to CBP Tuesday and Wednesday, but we have not yet heard back.<\/p>\n
An aide to Demings forwarded the man\u2019s complaint to Aviation Authority CEO Lance Lyttle last Friday, requesting Lyttle brief the mayor on the matter.<\/p>\n
A day later, Lyttle e-mailed Demings and called the allegations \u201cconcerning,\u201d writing that if substantiated, the behavior \u201cwould not align with the professional standards that both GOAA and CBP expect at our airport.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will share this correspondence with the acting Orlando CBP Port Director and will request that the matter be reviewed through their formal internal processes, including review of available video and supervisory follow-up as appropriate,\u201d Lyttle wrote in the e-mail.<\/p>\n
Lyttle noted that while GOAA does not have authority over CBP personnel matters, he said the airport will continue to engage with CBP leadership \u201cto reinforce the importance of professionalism, respectful engagement, and a positive arrival experience for our international passengers.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also said GOAA will \u201creview any operational or queue-management procedures on the airport side to ensure that passenger instructions provided by airport personnel are fully aligned with CBP lane protocols, so that travelers are not placed in conflicting or confusing situations.\u201d<\/p>\n
When News 6 reached out to GOAA, a spokesperson said that Lyttle\u2019s e-mail, which we obtained, represents the airport\u2019s position.<\/p>\n
Below is the full statement from Angela Starke, the senior vice president of Public Affairs at MCO:<\/p>\n
\u201cLance Lyttle\u2019s email represents the airport\u2019s position. As for operational reviews, the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority consistently evaluates its processes and incorporates improvements as needed. One recent example is the Gate Link Replacement project. We did a walkthrough recently and noted some of the signage may not be as visible as it could be for passengers, so we have begun to relocate the signs for a better wayfinding experience.<\/p>\n