SaturnV
6th May 2004, 10:16
This story in yesterday's Washington Post (erxcerpts below) seemed to stem from someone on a particular United flight between LAX and IAD blurting to the media about the rigorous screening procedures that were used. Passengers apparently got to wondering whether the flight had been targeted in some way, and a bit concerned about that. Ah, but not to worry. The Department of Homeland Security is now putting certain flights through rigorous screening simply based on how much fuel will be in the tanks, and where it will be flying to or from.
Bush administration officials yesterday acknowledged that United Airlines Flight 200, a nonstop from Los Angeles to Dulles, was among several "flights of interest" that warranted extra scrutiny but that the additional security was not prompted by a specific threat or new intelligence. Officials said the agency began targeting certain flights on a variety of airlines and routes earlier this year as part of a new layer of security based on improved processing of risk-assessment information.
"We do maintain an ongoing list of 'flights of interest' -- both foreign and domestic flights and carriers," said Transportation Security Administration spokesman Mark Hatfield.
The TSA flags the flights based on factors such as whether a flight operates between certain cities that have been targets in the past by terrorists, such as Los Angeles, Washington and New York. It also targets certain flights involving larger aircraft, such as coast-to-coast departures, that have been known to be more attractive to terrorists because they carry more fuel. Other targeted flights might be headed to cities where a high-profile event is taking place, such as a Super Bowl.
Some airline pilots say they would like to know more about the threat reporting behind the security designation. The pilots say they are entitled to know all information about a flight that has been flagged for extra scrutiny and they resent being singled out for additional security checks in front of passengers.
"As the captain, I'm responsible for everything that goes on," said a United captain who flew one of the Los Angeles-Washington flights with stepped-up security. "I have to be informed of all available information in order to make a decision whether these flights are safe to make."
The captain, who asked that his identity not be revealed because he feared repercussions from government officials, said he and his flight crew and passengers received additional scrutiny at the gate before boarding the plane in Los Angeles. All luggage and catering supplies were screened with explosive-detecting machines, and bomb-sniffing dogs combed the plane before anyone was allowed on board. The pilot said he was followed by security personnel as he performed a routine walk-around check of the aircraft and prepared for the flight in the cockpit.
United Airlines recently distributed an e-mail to the company's pilots alerting them to expect extra security on certain flights.
"We have been advised by the TSA that it will periodically designate certain 'flights of interest,' " said the e-mail, written by the carrier's manager of line operations, Mark Sebby. "On these trips, you can expect additional screening of the aircraft, crew members, [passengers] and hand luggage, including crew possessions. The TSA has not given us a reason for this designation. However, we have been informed that other airlines have flights that are subject to the same unilateral security measures."
The United e-mail tells pilots that it will alert them if they are scheduled on a flight with the additional security procedures.
"This is not the first time this has happened in the airline industry -- it has happened with a number of other airlines," said spokesman Jeff Green.
The Department of Homeland Security also began testing use of explosives testing devices at a lightly used railroad station (a thousand daily passengers) this past Monday. Passengers walk through a device that shoots puffs of air at them and sniffs for any explosive residue, and have their bags or parcels put through a bomb detection device. Video of the process indicated this took 10 to 15 seconds per passenger, and there were about 5 or 6 screeners staffing the security checkpoint. The Department officials acknowledged that it was completely infeasible to use this process and these devices at every station on a rail or mass transit line, or at any station with large numbers of passengers, e.g., Penn Station in New York with 600,000 daily passengers. To say nothing about the cost.
This is beginning to look like an agency witrh too many people with too much idle time on their hands.
Bush administration officials yesterday acknowledged that United Airlines Flight 200, a nonstop from Los Angeles to Dulles, was among several "flights of interest" that warranted extra scrutiny but that the additional security was not prompted by a specific threat or new intelligence. Officials said the agency began targeting certain flights on a variety of airlines and routes earlier this year as part of a new layer of security based on improved processing of risk-assessment information.
"We do maintain an ongoing list of 'flights of interest' -- both foreign and domestic flights and carriers," said Transportation Security Administration spokesman Mark Hatfield.
The TSA flags the flights based on factors such as whether a flight operates between certain cities that have been targets in the past by terrorists, such as Los Angeles, Washington and New York. It also targets certain flights involving larger aircraft, such as coast-to-coast departures, that have been known to be more attractive to terrorists because they carry more fuel. Other targeted flights might be headed to cities where a high-profile event is taking place, such as a Super Bowl.
Some airline pilots say they would like to know more about the threat reporting behind the security designation. The pilots say they are entitled to know all information about a flight that has been flagged for extra scrutiny and they resent being singled out for additional security checks in front of passengers.
"As the captain, I'm responsible for everything that goes on," said a United captain who flew one of the Los Angeles-Washington flights with stepped-up security. "I have to be informed of all available information in order to make a decision whether these flights are safe to make."
The captain, who asked that his identity not be revealed because he feared repercussions from government officials, said he and his flight crew and passengers received additional scrutiny at the gate before boarding the plane in Los Angeles. All luggage and catering supplies were screened with explosive-detecting machines, and bomb-sniffing dogs combed the plane before anyone was allowed on board. The pilot said he was followed by security personnel as he performed a routine walk-around check of the aircraft and prepared for the flight in the cockpit.
United Airlines recently distributed an e-mail to the company's pilots alerting them to expect extra security on certain flights.
"We have been advised by the TSA that it will periodically designate certain 'flights of interest,' " said the e-mail, written by the carrier's manager of line operations, Mark Sebby. "On these trips, you can expect additional screening of the aircraft, crew members, [passengers] and hand luggage, including crew possessions. The TSA has not given us a reason for this designation. However, we have been informed that other airlines have flights that are subject to the same unilateral security measures."
The United e-mail tells pilots that it will alert them if they are scheduled on a flight with the additional security procedures.
"This is not the first time this has happened in the airline industry -- it has happened with a number of other airlines," said spokesman Jeff Green.
The Department of Homeland Security also began testing use of explosives testing devices at a lightly used railroad station (a thousand daily passengers) this past Monday. Passengers walk through a device that shoots puffs of air at them and sniffs for any explosive residue, and have their bags or parcels put through a bomb detection device. Video of the process indicated this took 10 to 15 seconds per passenger, and there were about 5 or 6 screeners staffing the security checkpoint. The Department officials acknowledged that it was completely infeasible to use this process and these devices at every station on a rail or mass transit line, or at any station with large numbers of passengers, e.g., Penn Station in New York with 600,000 daily passengers. To say nothing about the cost.
This is beginning to look like an agency witrh too many people with too much idle time on their hands.