Administration promises to bolster airline security

Associated Press

WASHINGTON – Federal transportation officials told Congress Thursday that steps are under way to increase airline security beyond the measures initially announced in the wake of the terrorist attacks.

Two task forces are looking at issues such as improving airport screening, further expanding the number of armed air marshals in the air and preventing passengers from gaining access to cockpits, Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta told the Senate Commerce Committee.

He said those task forces are scheduled to report their recommendations by Oct. 1.

Mineta appeared at the first in what promises to be a lengthy series of congressional hearings into airport and airliner security in the wake of the hijacked jets flown by terrorists into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon.

In prepared testimony for the same hearing, the head of the air line pilots union urged Congress to support steps to reinforce the safety of cockpit crews.

Mineta sought to assure the panel that the administration would aggressively pursue solutions.

“Let their be no doubt: we will soon be taking additional steps to increase security,” Mineta said.

The General Accounting Office, the investigative arm of Congress, said the FAA was working to limit the chances of unauthorized personnel gaining access to secure areas and was taking steps to protect the air traffic control computer systems from attack.

But the FAA has yet to issue new rules for certifying airport screening companies, over two years after that agency initially said it would issue the regulations, the GAO said.

Sentiment has been growing on Capitol Hill that the federal government, not the airlines should handle security at airports.

“We’d have a responsibility to make flying safe,” said Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass.

FAA administrator Jane Garvey acknowledged “we must think differently about this issue.”

Following last week’s attacks, the FAA ended curbside check-in, said that only passengers could go through security checkpoints, and increased the number of armed security staffed at airports.

Mineta also said the administration will propose a multibillion dollar aid package for the industry, including $3 billion to help cover the costs of security improvements, $5 billion in direct payments to airlines, some relief from airline’s liability for damage caused by last week’s attack, and additional credits and loan guarantees.

Capt. Duane Woerth, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, said in prepared testimony that he believes airlines should immediately install deadbolt locks and an additional mesh-net door.

Woerth also said there should be at least two stun guns in the cockpits of airplanes.

“The world has changed and we must change with it,” said Woerth, president of the Airline Pilots Association. “Use of the guns would be done in only the most extreme circumstances, to protect the lives and safety of the passengers and crew.”

Charles Barclay, president of American Association of Airport Executives, called for improving the training and testing of low-wage security screeners who check passengers and baggage at airports.

Regardless of whether or not the federal government takes over airport security screening, as some have suggested, these workers must be better trained and better paid, he said.

“The issue is performance standards not just responsibility for oversight,” Barclay said. “For that reason, we hope that any solution … results in adequately compensated screeners who are trained and tested to a level of proficiency much higher than currently required.”

Both Barclay and Woerth were named earlier this week by Transportation Secretay Norman Y. Mineta to task forces that are to recommend by Oct. 1 improvements in security for both airports and airplanes.

The Senate hearing was one of two scheduled for Thursday on airline security, which has gotten renewed scrutiny because the hijackers were able to get onto four airplanes carrying knives and box cutters.

There have been calls for having the federal government take over security screening, now an airline responsibility.

In addition, the Federal Aviation Administration is increasing the number of armed air marshals aboard selected flights.

Copyright ©2001 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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