"Securing The Skies"

Tuesday, September 25, 2001

Securing The Skies 
Congress May Turn Over Airport Security To Feds 
Pilots' Union Wants Some Airline Pilots To Carry Guns 
Bush Lukewarm On Arming Pilots, Fed Security Take-Over 
CBS News


WASHINGTON, (CBS) Allowing the federal government to take over the
baggage screening process as well as other security topics were the
focus of House and Senate hearings Tuesday. 

The cost of a federal take-over of airport security could be paid for by
a surtax on airline tickets, reports CBS News' Bob Scheiffer. 

Under legislation now being formulated, security for airlines, railways,
inland waterways and salt water ports would be brought together and
directed from a new office in the Department of Transportation. 

About 1.3 billion people are screened annually at airport security
points. Most of it is done by low-paid workers of private companies
contracted by airlines. 

At the Senate hearing, Robert Baker, vice chairman of American Airlines,
said the changes "represent an important opportunity to both enhance
security and improve public confidence." 

Meanwhile, JetBlue Airways took initiative and launched the tightening
of security in the skies, saying it plans to install bulletproof cockpit
doors with dead bolt locks on all 18 of its airplanes. 

Three major domestic airlines - Continental, US Airways and Southwest -
are considering added security measures for cockpit crews. 

Airline pilots are proposing a cockpit security measure that they had
strongly opposed before the Sept. 11 attacks, CBS News Correspondent Bob
Orr reports. 

The Air Line Pilots Association is urging Congress to pass legislation
allowing pilots to carry firearms in cockpits, a move the union says
could prevent more terrorist hijackings. 

"Creating a program to allow specially trained and screened pilots to
carry weapons in the cockpit must be a top priority," the union's
president, Capt. Duane Woerth, told a House aviation subcommittee
Tuesday. 

"It is an extreme measure because we have a new extreme threat," Woerth
told CBS News before the hearing. 

"Today, we are dealing with terrorist suicidal operations," he added.
"The cockpit must be defended, and the pilot must play a pivotal role in
defending their place of work." 

Union spokesman John Mazor said armed pilots in cockpits was a "radical
step" for the union, but the idea has had overwhelming support from its
pilot members. 

The union envisions an armed-pilots program that would be strictly
voluntary and would require extensive background screening and
psychological testing of pilots. Pilots also would receive classroom and
practical training in the use of firearms that is the equivalent of what
armed sky marshals receive. 

The union has asked the FBI to handle the program and training, and is
awaiting its response, Mazor said. 

U.S. Marshals already are being used on many flights and the FAA is
training more of them. Other federal agencies are being asked to
contribute armed plainclothes security officials. Many of the new
officers will come from the Justice Department. 

President Bush favors measures to make airlines secure doors between the
cockpit and cabin on all jetliners but is not inclined to allow pilots
to carry weapons or make federal workers of all security personnel at
airports, administration officials said. 

Instead, Bush will seek to give the Federal Aviation Administration more
oversight of private security companies, the officials said, speaking on
condition of anonymity. In addition, he will order a more robust effort
to cross-check information on their personnel with law enforcement data
bases. 

The president plans to announce his airline safety proposals Thursday in
Chicago, one official said.

Attached Photo:

Security officers load luggage into an X-ray scanner.

screener1.jpg