The Transportation Security Administration fined Jackson Hole Airport for a security breach that occurred earlier this year, airport officials announced Wednesday.

The TSA fined the airport $7,500 for the incident, which happened during the winter holiday season, airport Director Ray Bishop said.

Bishop said the incident involved an employee of The Horsely Co., a contractor for the airport’s new state-of-the-art baggage handling system.

“One of the contractors went into the secured area without a badge that he should have had,” Bishop said. “It was back in the new construction area. He wasn’t aware. That phase of construction is over with, so hopefully that’s not a problem.”

Bishop said the TSA, as well as Jackson Hole Airport officials, take such incidents seriously.

The Horsely Co. has reimbursed the airport for the cost of the infraction.

This is the first security breach that has occurred at the airport since Bishop took over as director nearly four years ago.

“Most airports get one of these a year,” he said.  

“We’ve shored up our training program,” Bishop said. “It was a signal to everybody that this is serious stuff, guys, let’s refocus and double our efforts.”

Bishop said securing access to the National Airspace System is important because, once a person is past security checkpoints, “nobody checks you twice.”