"Bay-area Airports Re-Examine Security Following Terror Warning"

Tuesday, July 29, 2003

Local Airports Re-Examine Security Following Terror Warning
Officials: Travel Decrease Not Expected
NBC Ch 11, San Jose (CA)


SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Bay Area airport officials are double checking security
systems since the Department of Homeland Security issued a warning of an
al-Qaida threat, but they do not expect to see a decrease in air travel. The
Transportation Security Administration circulated a memo on July 26 asking
airports and airlines to review their security measures in light of
intelligence that suggests al-Qaida might use a commercial airplane for a
terrorist attack, according to airport officials. "We continue to
investigate the credibility of this intelligence," Gordon Johndroe, said
press secretary for the Department of Homeland Security. "The advisory was
provided so that security personnel can be informed, review their procedures
and take any additional steps that may be necessary." 

Johndroe said that aviation security has been greatly improved since the
terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, with the introduction of reinforced
cockpit doors, federal air marshals and federal passenger and baggage
screeners. Sean Comey, a AAA spokesman representing Northern California,
said it is too early to tell if the warning may affect local travel, but he
said travelers are more confident now than they have been since the
terrorist attacks. 

"People seem to be more confident in the safety of air travel," said Comey.
"But in the grand scheme of things, this is one of the new realities for
people who travel. Security is an issue." Bay Area airports, which mostly
have seen steady growth this summer, do not expect the general advisory to
lessen local air travel. San Francisco International Airport spokesman Mike
McCarron said he would be surprised if the advisory had any bearing on
travel through the airport unless a specific threat came out. Oakland
International Airport officials also do not see the DHS warning hurting
their passenger numbers.  

"We've seen increased travel since 1997 through the present," said Oakland
airport spokeswoman Cyndy Johnson. She said terror alerts have not had a
significant impact on the Oakland airport's travel numbers. 

Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport has seen a decline in travel
since 2002 but attributes it to a downtrend in business travelers rather
than terrorist threat alerts, according to spokesman Rich Dressler. Since
the advisory, the DHS has not raised the national terrorist threat level and
there are no plans to increase it, according to Johndroe.


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