US airline security chief: bombs are biggest threat
Bombs, not scissors or screwdrivers, are now the biggest threat to airline security, says the US’s aviation security chief.
Security improvements since 9-11 have made hijacking virtually impossible, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) chief Kip Hawley told a Congressional hearing.
“It’s not about scissors, it’s about bombs. Small objects aren’t going to enable a major terrorist attack,” he said.
Modified security rules that go into effect 22 December will allow passengers to carry scissors and small tools.
Security officials say the move allows screeners to concentrate on more critical dangers such as bombs.
Representatives of the Association of Flight Attendants objected to the changes, saying the tools could be used as torture devices to force pilots to open cockpit doors.
In other airline news:
- The interim pay cut between Delta Air Lines and the pilot union should gain ratification, according to observers quoted in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
- JetBlue held a ground-breaking ceremony for its new $875 million terminal at JFK in New York. It will allow the carrier to double its presence there by 2009.
- Southwest’s response to its first-ever fatal accident was described by the Chicago Tribune as a “coordinated, polished response” that “sets a new standard for how airlines will deal with crisis.”
- There were news reports that Virgin America’s first US route would be between San Francisco and New York.
Report by David Wilkening
David
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