“We appreciate the recognition given to our professional
flight attendants by the TSA Administrator. In addition
to expediting the crew member screening process, we
believe it will also assist in the flow of other
passengers as they transition through the airport
security lanes," said TWU International President James
C. Little. “A4A has long advocated that as
safety professionals, flight attendants should be
included in the Known Crewmember program, and we are
pleased to continue to partner with TSA on this
risk-based screening system that improves safety,
security and efficiency, benefiting both passengers and
crew members," said A4A President Nicholas E. Calio.
TSA anticipates that it could take up to 12 months for
air carriers and their service providers to make the
necessary system modifications and fully develop, test,
and implement this change to the KCM program. Flight
attendants could begin to experience expedited screening
as early as fall 2012. TSA will always
incorporate random and unpredictable security measures
throughout the airport screening process as no passenger
is guaranteed expedited screening. TSA's multi-layered
approach to security consists of more than 20 layers,
including behavior detection officers,
explosives-detection systems, baggage screening, canine
teams, and federal air marshals, among other measures
both seen and unseen.
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