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American Morning

Interview With FAA Administrator Marion Blakey

Aired December 24, 2003 - 07:13   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: As we all know, it is Christmas Eve. Millions of Americans will be flying today under the heightened security from the code orange threat alert.
Joining us this morning from Reagan National Airport to talk about security steps that are being taken for holiday travels is FAA Administrator Marian Blakey.

Nice to see you, Ms. Blakey. Thanks for being with us. We appreciate it.

MARION BLAKEY, FAA ADMINISTRATOR: Glad to be here.

O'BRIEN: Let's get...

BLAKEY: It's a good day to travel.

O'BRIEN: Well, let's talk a little bit about that. Are you seeing any response from the flying public? Are you hearing from people who say, you know, now that we're at this code orange, forget it; I'm not going to fly this holiday season?

BLAKEY: No, not really. In fact, I'll tell you, most of the flights are very full today. So, people coming out to fly really should expect that it's a full load factor on almost all of the flights.

I think people in this country are getting used to the fact that security is a part of our life. It's a part of their responsibility. And I think people take it seriously, but it doesn't put them off at this point. And certainly we're seeing that in terms of aviation.

O'BRIEN: When you talk about it's their responsibility, outside of advising people to be patient, that there are going to be long lines, and, you know, maybe not to wrap presents so that they don't get stuck in the scanner machines, what exactly do you want the flying public to do?

BLAKEY: Well, I think we want them to do two things. No. 1, we want them to be vigilant, because security is really a shared effort. Look around you. If you see people who look like they're behaving peculiarly, if there is something going on that's odd, report it. If you see luggage that's unattended, if you see a package sitting over by itself, go ahead, let the security force right there know that you're worried about this. That's the way a number of things have turned up that have been genuinely of concern. So, the public is a big part of the network. But the other thing, of course, in terms of tips for travelers, is do your part in not holding up the lines, because we all want to get through security as quickly as possible. That means put your metal things, including jewelry, in your carry-on. That means get your computer out of the case. Take your coat off. Most of us these days take our shoes off, because I know I have metal shanks in my shoes. It sets the machines off every time. But they're just small things that if you do it smoothly, you get through the line in a hurry.

O'BRIEN: I've gotten to the point where I just wear my sneakers. Forget it. Everything has metal shanks in it. Give me a sense the degree to which you are working with the foreign airlines, because, as we well know, now there is a big concern about al Qaeda recruits may be working as flight crews on foreign airlines. What's the kind of discussions that you're having with those airlines?

BLAKEY: We're getting very good cooperation from the foreign carriers. I think everyone understands that security these days is something that, again, cuts across the Atlantic and the Pacific. Terrorism is as much a worry on their side as it is on ours.

So, we find that both in terms of our security and law enforcement branches, they're working well together. The carriers are on high alert. And, in fact, in terms of air traffic control, our controllers, those at Euro control and elsewhere, we're all working very closely together.

You have to remember that when 9/11 happened, it set up channels of communication that really weren't there before. In a sense, we opened phone lines that have never once been closed since. So, I think, you know, in terms of the foreign carriers, I feel that they are giving the kind of response that we expect and we're doing here on this side of the Atlantic.

O'BRIEN: Marion Blakey is the FAA administrator. Thanks for being with us this morning. Happy holidays to you. Appreciate your time.

BLAKEY: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.







Aired December 24, 2003 - 07:13   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: As we all know, it is Christmas Eve. Millions of Americans will be flying today under the heightened security from the code orange threat alert.
Joining us this morning from Reagan National Airport to talk about security steps that are being taken for holiday travels is FAA Administrator Marian Blakey.

Nice to see you, Ms. Blakey. Thanks for being with us. We appreciate it.

MARION BLAKEY, FAA ADMINISTRATOR: Glad to be here.

O'BRIEN: Let's get...

BLAKEY: It's a good day to travel.

O'BRIEN: Well, let's talk a little bit about that. Are you seeing any response from the flying public? Are you hearing from people who say, you know, now that we're at this code orange, forget it; I'm not going to fly this holiday season?

BLAKEY: No, not really. In fact, I'll tell you, most of the flights are very full today. So, people coming out to fly really should expect that it's a full load factor on almost all of the flights.

I think people in this country are getting used to the fact that security is a part of our life. It's a part of their responsibility. And I think people take it seriously, but it doesn't put them off at this point. And certainly we're seeing that in terms of aviation.

O'BRIEN: When you talk about it's their responsibility, outside of advising people to be patient, that there are going to be long lines, and, you know, maybe not to wrap presents so that they don't get stuck in the scanner machines, what exactly do you want the flying public to do?

BLAKEY: Well, I think we want them to do two things. No. 1, we want them to be vigilant, because security is really a shared effort. Look around you. If you see people who look like they're behaving peculiarly, if there is something going on that's odd, report it. If you see luggage that's unattended, if you see a package sitting over by itself, go ahead, let the security force right there know that you're worried about this. That's the way a number of things have turned up that have been genuinely of concern. So, the public is a big part of the network. But the other thing, of course, in terms of tips for travelers, is do your part in not holding up the lines, because we all want to get through security as quickly as possible. That means put your metal things, including jewelry, in your carry-on. That means get your computer out of the case. Take your coat off. Most of us these days take our shoes off, because I know I have metal shanks in my shoes. It sets the machines off every time. But they're just small things that if you do it smoothly, you get through the line in a hurry.

O'BRIEN: I've gotten to the point where I just wear my sneakers. Forget it. Everything has metal shanks in it. Give me a sense the degree to which you are working with the foreign airlines, because, as we well know, now there is a big concern about al Qaeda recruits may be working as flight crews on foreign airlines. What's the kind of discussions that you're having with those airlines?

BLAKEY: We're getting very good cooperation from the foreign carriers. I think everyone understands that security these days is something that, again, cuts across the Atlantic and the Pacific. Terrorism is as much a worry on their side as it is on ours.

So, we find that both in terms of our security and law enforcement branches, they're working well together. The carriers are on high alert. And, in fact, in terms of air traffic control, our controllers, those at Euro control and elsewhere, we're all working very closely together.

You have to remember that when 9/11 happened, it set up channels of communication that really weren't there before. In a sense, we opened phone lines that have never once been closed since. So, I think, you know, in terms of the foreign carriers, I feel that they are giving the kind of response that we expect and we're doing here on this side of the Atlantic.

O'BRIEN: Marion Blakey is the FAA administrator. Thanks for being with us this morning. Happy holidays to you. Appreciate your time.

BLAKEY: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.