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September 25, 2001
Chip Barclay
President
American Association of Airport Executives
601 Madison Street, Suite 400
Alexandria, VA 22314
Dear Mr. Barclay:
We are writing to provide you with a list of recommendations that should be considered in the Rapid Response Team's proposal to Secretary Mineta. The federal government must quickly take action on these items in order to ensure passenger safety at our nation's airports. Since the tragedy on September 11th, the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) has implemented additional security measures at Logan International Airport which are beyond the FAA's requirements.
Some of the additional measures that Massport has taken include: the placement of uniformed and plain clothes State Police both prior to and beyond the screening areas to randomly check passengers' identification, tickets and packages; prohibiting public access to the airport's tower elevators; requiring service contractors to be escorted to their work areas within the sterile areas; conducting FBI terrorist background checks of all security personnel, fixed based operators and cleaners; and requiring Part 135 operators to provide security screening for both inbound and outbound operations and Part 91 operators to provide security screening for outbound operations. Even with additional measures such as these taken at Logan, however, our nation's airports remain vulnerable unless decisive action is taken nationally on critically important safety matters which are not within each individual airport's authority.
Recommended Actions
- Federalize security checkpoints - Security checkpoints represent the front door to any commercial aircraft in the nation's aviation system and function as the main line of defense against potential threats to public safety. A well-trained professional law enforcement agency, located within the new Office of Homeland Security or the Department of Defense, with training in counter terrorism, explosive device detection, and threat assessment, is needed to provide the greatest level of protection to the traveling public. This new agency would require the latest in screening technology and training and access to top level security intelligence. In addition, these front line agents could randomly interact and question passengers and airport employees. One of our most effective security measures is having armed law enforcement agents engaging in face-to-face contact with an individual who may be a potential threat or accomplice.
- Maintain law enforcement presence at security checkpoints - The US Marshals presence must be kept at airport security checkpoints as an interim measure until the larger issue of federalization of the checkpoints is resolved.
- Immediately standardize items restricted from the secured areas - The FAA and the air carriers are using inconsistent standards in determining which items are restricted from the secured areas. There must be a standardized list between the FAA and carriers to avoid confusion among law enforcement personnel and security checkpoint personnel about the types of items that should be confiscated during the screening process. Additionally, these standards should be implemented consistently in all the airports in the nation.
- Require round the clock coverage at security checkpoints - Airlines are required to staff the security checkpoints only during the hours in which flights are in operation. At times during the day, checkpoints are not staffed and airport service personnel need access to the secured areas in order to perform their duties. In order to maintain the integrity of the secured areas, these checkpoints should be operational 24 hours per day, seven days per week so that no one is permitted access without being properly screened.
- Restrict carry-on luggage Massport has recommended that airlines operating at
Logan International Airport limit the number and type of carry-on bags.This recommendation should be an FAA
requirement.Establishing limitations
for carry-on luggage is necessary in order to ensure that security screeners
have sufficient amount of time to properly view and search each and every bag
that is screened through the checkpoints.
Baggage Screening
- Require 100 percent bag match for all passengers and baggage The Part 108 security directives recently issued by the FAA require that only selected passengers must comply with the bag match procedure. It is absolutely critical to passenger safety that this be expanded to require 100 percent bag match for 100 percent of the passengers.
- Require 100 percent baggage screening Currently only a limited number of airlines screen select baggage. This should be expanded to require mandatory screening of all checked baggage as soon as practicable.
New Technology
- Utilize facial recognition systems Facial recognition systems will provide the most advanced technology in helping law enforcement identify terrorists in our nations airports. This state of the art technology should be deployed, at a minimum, on a pilot basis in a select number of airports including Logan International Airport.
- Utilize new security screening technology to improve screening equipment Improved screening equipment is needed to enhance the screeners ability to detect contraband and maintain an electronic record of all items scanned and persons screened. Examples of improved equipment include more sensitive magnetometers and utilization of a backscatter x-ray that provides skeletal images of persons obtaining access to the secured areas in order for better detection of contraband. Like the facial recognition systems, this state of the art technology should be deployed, at a minimum, on a pilot basis in a select number of airports including Logan International Airport.
Background Checks
- Enhance background checks for all airport employees The FAA now requires that all airport employees who were hired after December 23, 2000 be fingerprinted as part of their background check before receiving an airport security badge. This requirement should be expanded to include all airport personnel who were hired prior to December 23, 2000. In addition to the standard criminal background check, the names of all airport personnel should be cross-checked with the FBIs watch list.
Consistent Standards
- Promulgate consistent regulations for all classes of aircraft The FAA needs to implement a standard that applies to all carrier operators, not just the Part 121 operators, in order to ensure the security integrity of the nations airports. For example, all Part 121 and Part 129 operators are required to screen passengers before given access to the secured areas and the aircraft. This is not a requirement for Part 135 commuter operators and Part 91 general aviation operators. Recognizing that this poses a security risk to the entire airport, Massport has required security checkpoint screening for all Part 135 and Part 91 operators at Logan.
- Create consistent standards for all cargo operators The FAA security directives should apply to all cargo operators and not only to those who are certified under Part 108.
Dissemination of Information
- Improve dissemination of intelligence information A process needs to be put into place to ensure that the proper law enforcement agencies and airlines are provided with the most up to date intelligence on potential risks.
We urge you to include the above recommendations in the Rapid Response Teams report to Secretary Mineta. The creation of this team provides an opportunity for airports to help make the nations air travel system safer and more secure. Please feel free to contact us if you need further assistance or clarification of our recommendations.
Sincerely,
Virginia Buckingham
Executive Director and CEO |
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Thomas J. Kinton, Jr.
Director of Aviation |
Cc:
Secretary Norman Mineta
Senator Edward M. Kennedy
Senator John F. Kerry
Governor Jane Swift
Representative Edward Markey
Representative Michael E. Capuano
Representative William D. Delahunt
Representative Barney Frank
Representative James P. McGovern
Representative Martin T. Meehan
Representative John W. Olver
Representative Richard E. Neal
Representative John F. Tierney
FAA Administrator Jane Garvey
Senate President Thomas Birmingham
House Speaker Thomas Finneran
Chairman Robert Havern
Chairman Joseph Sullivan
Mayor Thomas Menino
Massport Board of Directors
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