"Most Americans show faith in airport safety"

Monday, October 7, 2002

Most Americans show faith in airport safety
By Ken Kaye
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel


Air of confidence: If you think airport security is just for show, then
you're in the minority.

Most Americans have confidence in the measures imposed on airplanes and
in airports since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, according to a survey by
AAA.

Of more than 1,000 adults randomly surveyed, 75 percent are extremely
confident, very confident or at least somewhat confident in air travel,
the organization said.

Further, nine of 10 would be willing to pay more for roundtrip tickets
to allow for even more security measures. Of those 90 percent, half said
they would dish out up to $10 more per ticket.

Then again, most travelers feel security needs further tightening. 

The survey showed that 81 percent would like to see all baggage run
through explosive-detection machines by Dec. 31 -- although that
probably won't happen because airports are far from working out the
logistics.

The survey also found that most travelers would feel more confident if
pilots were allowed to carry guns in the cockpit. On that score, the
Bush administration plans to approve a test program that would allow up
to 1,400 pilots to have guns on a voluntary basis.

The view from here: This wave of confidence is justified as several
layers of security now are in place, making a terrorist hijacking
unlikely.

On the other hand, the Transportation Security Administration has a long
way to go before aviation security is truly efficient.

For instance, the agency still is in the process of positioning federal
screeners at commercial airports. And those screeners must prove they
can stem the frequent security breaches.

One good sign: James Loy, new head of the TSA, wants to reduce passenger
hassles by cutting out extraneous procedures, such as asking questions
or secondary screenings at the gate.


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