"City Hall's Scottsdale Airport Policy Has Key Security Problems"

["Stephen Irwin" <stepheni@xxxxxxxxx>]

Saturday, August 21, 2004

Opinion
CITY HALL'S AIRPORT POLICY HAS KEY SECURITY PROBLEMS
The Arizona Republic


Anyone who believes that terrorist organizations don't have Scottsdale
Municipal Airport on their aviation map has a short memory.

Less than a year before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Hani Hanjour
and co-conspirator Nawaf al-Hazmi returned to Arizona in an attempt to
resume their flight training in Scottsdale.

Previously, in 1996 and 1997, Hanjour paid $4,800 to CRM Flight Cockpit
Resource Management at Scottsdale Airport for flight lessons. Hanjour and
al-Hazmi ultimately were found to be responsible for flying American
Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon, killing all 58 passengers and six crew
members.

While the awareness of this genre of terrorist activity has increased since
Sept. 11, aviation enthusiasts in Scottsdale conveniently deny the fact that
the war against terrorism is not over and attempt to publicly diminish
probable risks.

One fact that can't be diminished is a report by the Department of Homeland
Security that estimates that 13,000 Arab men over the age of 16 are living
illegally in the United States. In my estimation, 13,000 is a convincingly
deep talent pool and a cause of real concern.

In fairness, aviation director Scott Gray has done a reasonably good job of
securing the airport grounds. But when it comes to airport policy emanating
from City Hall, there are two critical exceptions:

   * There are no background checks required on airport workers with access
to aircraft.

   * There was the breaking of a previous council's promise made to Phoenix
of "no scheduled air service" by permitting Dynasty Air and Western Express
Air to operate scheduled flights.

Phil Vickers, Scottsdale Airport advisory commissioner, has made significant
progress on the background-check issue. Yet the city is aware that one of
the two "quasi-commercial" charter operators continues to foolishly promote
lax security on city-owned property.

Dynasty Air's Web site, www.dynasty-air.com, lures customers to Scottsdale
Airport by boasting, "No more crowds. No more long lines. No more undressing
at the security check."

In the meantime, the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation
Security Administration recently issued a security advisory to general
aviation airport and aircraft operators. The advisory was to communicate the
continuing concern regarding al-Qaida's efforts to plan multiple attacks
against the United States by possibly using commercial or general aviation
aircraft, including helicopters.

If you're still not alarmed, then read the Sept. 14 edition of the
Scottsdale Republic ("Small planes, big risk?") on how these companies
currently handle security threats.

Bruce Tully, chief executive officer of Dynasty Air, said: "If somebody gets
out of their seat and starts moving forward, we can maneuver the plane to
pin that guy to the ceiling and keep him there. And then everyone else on
the plane can pull him off the ceiling and beat the hell out of him."

Tim Berger, vice president of a company that manages aircraft for Western
Express Air, told the Scottsdale Republic that the pilots of Western Express
Air visually screen passengers as they walk from Scottsdale's main terminal
to the aircraft. "If a passenger appears intoxicated or making threatening
remarks, he's not allowed to board."

On Tuesday, the Scottsdale Republic's editorial board cautioned the public
("Scottsdale Airport safety must be based on reason") that my interest in
this issue may be "to use security as a ruse to restrict aircraft activity
at the airport." If that were true, I'd be advocating security measures for
more than just the regularly scheduled "quasi-commercial" flights.

Unfortunately, when you're involved in a leadership position in any
organization, as I was with Quiet Skies, it's fair to presume that you will
be typecast.

Those who can't learn from history are doomed to repeat it. You, the
citizens of the Northeast Valley, have the power and responsibility to bring
about changes in security at Scottsdale Airport, if needed.

John Hoeppner is a Cave Creek resident. The views are expressed are those of
the author.


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