At first I thought $336k was bat-shit crazy for an app like this, but then I thought about all of the shit that had to go into this:

someone at the TSA has an idea for this app, pitches it to someone important enough to approve it

TSA has no fucking clue what it actually wants, asks for super vague Call for Proposals

A dozen or so companies know how to handle all of the BS that goes with a proposal like this, so they get a team of 5-10 to create a proposal.

Since it's TSA and has concerns with national security, all members of the proposal team probably need a certain level of security clearance (adding to cost)

TSA reviews a bunch of proposals, decide on a middle of the ground budget from a company with a good record.

Before any code is written both sides have several (or many) meetings to clearly define project goals and requirements (I know it seems obvious, but I guarantee there are a bunch of non-obvious requirements - think deployment, maintenance, up-time, etc)

At this point, we finally have (mostly) clear requirements to work with. Developing company has already spent several thousand dollars paying for meeting, travel, and other BS that goes into the process. But hey, at least we can start development.

A development team is created with a project manager, a developer or two, some quality assurance people, techops, legal, creative, and whatever other resources they need.

(3 weeks) Create a test plan (1 week), review internally and get approval from stakeholders (1 week), get signoff from client, TSA (1 week)

(2-3 weeks) Develop an app from scratch (on an app like this it could take longer just to get the bullshit boilerplate out of the way than the actual app)

(1-2 weeks) QA and test this stupid app in every way possible - with wifi, without wifi, test people, near x-ray machines.

(1-2 weeks) QA and developers go back and forth several times fixing bugs. QA insists on reopening the same 2 bugs 14 times - later the develop finds out QA hadn't even opened the app

(1 week) review internally, get approval from stakeholders

Deliver to client. woot!

(4 weeks) Client reviews app, setups up testing, discovers that half of the TSA workers can't press a button because it's "too small and moves around"

(1 week) PM and client argue that the design was signed off, finally PM gives in and tells the developer to fix it

(1 week) developer fixes in all of 1 hour. rest of the week is lost to QA opening the same 2 bugs again

deliver to client. woot!

(2 weeks) Client needs to re-review and re-test

finally we have approval - oh, wait nobody thought about the fact that some people are color blind and can't actually see the damn arrow.

(1 week) PM, legal, and execs get involved saying they shouldn't have to change it. Finally agree to charge $20k to fix.

(1 week) again, a simple fix - but most of this time is spent in QA.

deliver to client. finally, thank god

(2 weeks) client tests again. people can actually see it. Although they complain black and white aren't "happy" colors. PM finally grows a pair and says "No!"

software approved

Finally, after all of the BS - it's time to deploy them to all of the devices

(6 months) after battling with outdated hardware, crappy wifi, incompetent users, and a hand full of other bullshit, the app if fully deployed and it's time for maintain.

After nearly a year in development, the product is finally "done".

I know there are a lot of exaggerations in here, but I've seen it first hand. Once you get multiple parties involved, a "simple" idea is no-longer simple. Multiply that by 2-10x to account for a bunch of bullshit bureaucracy and red-tape - and you end up with projects that cost a shit load for something that an junior dev could do for $1k.

==== =====