Kansas City, Mo. ? The federal Transportation Security Administration has extended a private company’s contract to hire security screeners at Kansas City International Airport.

The TSA’s contract with FirstLine was scheduled to expire last week but was renewed for another year. FirstLine, formerly known as International Total Services, was awarded the contract in 2002.

“We are very happy with the current security screening program at KCI,” TSA spokeswoman Amy von Walter said.

When the contract was first awarded, it was one of only five given to a private company. Airports now have the option of choosing private firms over the government, although private screeners also are under federal supervision and receive the same training that government-employed screeners do.

“These men and women are to be commended and praised for the job they have done,” said Richard Curasi, the federal security director at KCI. “If not for their high-performance rating and high-quality services, we would not have extended this company’s contract.”

The TSA started the private screening program as a way to compare the effectiveness of federal and private screeners. The Aviation and Transportation Security Act, signed by President Bush in November 2001, gives other airports the option of hiring private screeners.

The federal government took over airport security operations, which had been performed by private companies after the 9-11 terror attacks.

In April, a consultant hired by the TSA concluded that the screeners at KCI were more effective than federal screeners at similar-size airports.