"Lawmakers eyeing review of airline security"

Wednesday, March 26, 2003

Lawmakers eyeing review of airline security
By Tom Ramstack
THE WASHINGTON (DC) TIMES


  The Mississippi Republican mentioned the sky marshal program, which puts
two armed sky marshals in first-class seats on many flights, as one of the
programs that should be reviewed.

  Commercial airplanes also are required to have reinforced cockpit doors
and some pilots carry guns.

  Mr. Lott, chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation
aviation subcommittee, said members of Congress are asking, "Do we need all
of that? Can we modify that some way?"

  "Maybe we do need it all, but I think we're going to need to reassess,"
said Mr. Lott, who spoke yesterday at a downtown hotel to the Aero Club, an
organization of aviation executives.

  His concerns about redundancies prompted Transportation Security
Administration officials to warn about diminishing airline security.

  "Redundancies are critical to a successful aviation-security program,"
said Robert Johnson, TSA spokesman. The TSA, which operates the sky marshal
program, was established by Congress in November 2001.

  The redundancies include computerized screening of persons purchasing
airline tickets, baggage inspections and random searches of passengers.

  The TSA employs "thousands" of sky marshals, Mr. Johnson said. Their
budget and exact numbers are classified.

  "All of that combines to give us a system of systems that gives us a
number of opportunities to identify and stop the threat of a terrorist
attack," Mr. Johnson said.

  Airlines claim they lose $210 million a year by complying with federal
requirements to make seats available for sky marshals.

  Some airline industry officials said they agreed security procedures need
to be reassessed.

  "We would welcome any further review," said Eryn Travis, spokeswoman for
the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE).

  The AAAE has complained that airport executives are required to follow
federal security rules without being able to add their input.

  "Airports have been asking that the federal government treat them as more
of a partner," Miss Travis said.

  So far, the airline industry has paid too much of the cost of security
required since the September 11 attacks, Mr. Lott said.

  "I think we need to take back some of those costs," he said. "I think
we've tried to shove too much of it off on the industry."

  Instead, taxpayers should pay more of airline-security costs, Mr. Lott
said.

  He also said the Bush administration is meeting with the congressional
leadership this week to determine what kind of financial assistance should
be given to airlines as a result of war-related costs.

  "There could be some temporary, emergency help," Mr. Lott said.

  Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist also said yesterday he expected Congress
to approve aid for the aviation industry.

  Other congressional leaders and the Bush administration acknowledged aid
to airlines is possible soon, but offered few details.

  "We are listening to the airlines," said Claire Buchan, White House
spokeswoman. "We recognize the situation they are in. We're also obviously
going to talk to Congress."

  Shares of major U.S. airlines surged after Mr. Frist's announcement of a
possible aid package, bringing hope some carriers would be able to avoid
bankruptcy.

  Shares of AMR Corp., the parent company of American Airlines, closed
yesterday at $2.25, up 17 cents. Shares of Delta Air Lines closed at $9.81,
up 29 cents.

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