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Airline Consultant Discusses Security

Aired December 09, 2002 - 13:30   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.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The government is working to make airport check-in a little easier. Changes are in the works now for screening and security. CNN's Patty Davis is at Washington Reagan's National Airport with the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's an extra security measure that's been in place since the September 11 terror attacks, a random, second screening just before you board your flight. Passenger Tom Taylor says it makes him feel safer.

TOM TAYLOR: It's a little bit of a nuisance, but it's good.

DAVIS: But the Transportation Security Administration says it's not necessary because of all the extra security measures now in place, including reinforced cockpit doors and federal air marshals. The TSA is doing away with gate screening for all flights. Instead, starting Monday, teams of screeners will rove airport gate areas and randomly choose flights and passengers for extra scrutiny. And at 17 airports over the next two weeks, including Boston, LAX and Milwaukee, some passengers will be selected for a second, more thorough screening at the passenger checkpoint, rather than at the gate. At those 17 airports, passengers will no longer be able to get boarding passes at the gate.

ROBERT JOHNSON, TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION: The notion is strengthen security, reduce hassle, do that by creating a program that is unpredictable to the enemy.

DAVIS: Also on Monday, the ban on parking within 300 feet of an airport terminal will be lifted. Parking restrictions will go into effect only when the Department of Homeland Security raises the color coded threat alert. It's part of getting rid of what the TSA's chief, Admiral James Loy, calls "stupid rules." He's already done away with a ban on carrying coffee cups through airport security and the two security questions passengers were routinely asked at the ticket counter.

BOB MONETTI, PRESIDENT, VICTIMS OF PAN AM FLIGHT 103: It seems that everything they're doing is to simplify the passengers' route to the airplanes so that they don't get put off from going to the airports and so that the planes can leave on time. This has more to do with on time departures and full flights than it has anything to do with security.

DAVIS: Some security experts say the latest steps will help throw off terrorists, but warn more needs to be done.

J. KELLY MCCANN, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: Measured against this adversary, it's not enough, because clearly they're ingenious and innovative. We need to be, as well.

DAVIS (on camera): TSA officials acknowledge more needs to be done in cargo security, background checks for airport workers and screening checked luggage. Improvements, they say, are currently in the works.

Patty Davis, CNN, at Reagan National Airport.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DAVIS: Now, TSA officials do acknowledge that more needs to be done in security, specifically cargo security, also background checks for airport workers and, by the end of the year, screening checked bags for bombs. And they say all of those things are now in the works -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Patty Davis, thanks so much. Well, for more insight in new airport safety rules, we turn to airline consultant Terry Trippler to talk a little bit more about this.

Hi, Terry.

TERRY TRIPPLER, AIRLINE CONSULTANT: Hi, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: So what type of guidelines do the feds go through before they make decisions like easing the safety procedures?

TRIPPLER: Well, they compare what's been happening. We've had that extra gate check-in. And their feeling is that that has not been necessary, that that has not turned up, really, any contraband, so to speak, that they're catching it at the main check points. And so, they realize that if they do a better job or a more thorough job at the main check point, the gate area is not necessary.

PHILLIPS: So do you think that security will be strengthened and the hassle will be reduced? And if, yes, tell me why; if no, tell me why not?

TRIPPLER: Well, I think the security will be strengthened somewhat because the TSA, so far, I am very impressed. They are very professional, they're very efficient and they're very friendly to people. They've been taught customer service. Add putting that into play, along with the extra security at the checkpoint, I think security will be strengthened. It has a long way to go -- I understand that -- but it's better than it was.

PHILLIPS: Now, why do you say "long way to go"?

TRIPPLER: Well, I think that we can't do anything to actually promise that things are going to be perfect. El Al, the Israeli airline, is known for their security and it was about a month ago a gentleman with a knife got on board there. So when you can get by the El Al security, you can just about do anything.

But still, we want to get better in cargo, we want to get better with screening the people at the airport. And I believe we will get there, but we have to come with a happy medium. We can't shut down the entire transportation system. We've got to come out with a happy medium that everybody can live with. And right now, it's not too bad, but it will get better.

PHILLIPS: All right, what's the status of the reinforced cockpit doors and also the air marshals?

TRIPPLER: Well, the air marshals are, pretty much, on a lot of flights, and they're not on every flight, of course. But they are on a lot of them, and they're doing an excellent job, from what I hear. And the reinforced cockpit doors are almost completed on all the airlines. And I understand, those things are pretty secure.

PHILLIPS: All right, background checks on employees -- this is something that's come up quite a bit. Is it going to get more stringent?

TRIPPLER: It's got to get more stringent. I think that's the one weak link we have. The major weak link is the background check. We've got to get tougher on that. We've got to find out what's been happening with people. We had situations where someone was working for the TSA, and here they had been arrested on a felony, and it was just caught in the shuffle. We can't have that. We've got to be tougher with these background checks, so we know who's in the airport, we know who's running for security.

PHILLIPS: Terry Trippler, thank you so much.

TRIPPLER: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: All right.

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 9, 2002 - 13:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The government is working to make airport check-in a little easier. Changes are in the works now for screening and security. CNN's Patty Davis is at Washington Reagan's National Airport with the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's an extra security measure that's been in place since the September 11 terror attacks, a random, second screening just before you board your flight. Passenger Tom Taylor says it makes him feel safer.

TOM TAYLOR: It's a little bit of a nuisance, but it's good.

DAVIS: But the Transportation Security Administration says it's not necessary because of all the extra security measures now in place, including reinforced cockpit doors and federal air marshals. The TSA is doing away with gate screening for all flights. Instead, starting Monday, teams of screeners will rove airport gate areas and randomly choose flights and passengers for extra scrutiny. And at 17 airports over the next two weeks, including Boston, LAX and Milwaukee, some passengers will be selected for a second, more thorough screening at the passenger checkpoint, rather than at the gate. At those 17 airports, passengers will no longer be able to get boarding passes at the gate.

ROBERT JOHNSON, TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION: The notion is strengthen security, reduce hassle, do that by creating a program that is unpredictable to the enemy.

DAVIS: Also on Monday, the ban on parking within 300 feet of an airport terminal will be lifted. Parking restrictions will go into effect only when the Department of Homeland Security raises the color coded threat alert. It's part of getting rid of what the TSA's chief, Admiral James Loy, calls "stupid rules." He's already done away with a ban on carrying coffee cups through airport security and the two security questions passengers were routinely asked at the ticket counter.

BOB MONETTI, PRESIDENT, VICTIMS OF PAN AM FLIGHT 103: It seems that everything they're doing is to simplify the passengers' route to the airplanes so that they don't get put off from going to the airports and so that the planes can leave on time. This has more to do with on time departures and full flights than it has anything to do with security.

DAVIS: Some security experts say the latest steps will help throw off terrorists, but warn more needs to be done.

J. KELLY MCCANN, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: Measured against this adversary, it's not enough, because clearly they're ingenious and innovative. We need to be, as well.

DAVIS (on camera): TSA officials acknowledge more needs to be done in cargo security, background checks for airport workers and screening checked luggage. Improvements, they say, are currently in the works.

Patty Davis, CNN, at Reagan National Airport.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DAVIS: Now, TSA officials do acknowledge that more needs to be done in security, specifically cargo security, also background checks for airport workers and, by the end of the year, screening checked bags for bombs. And they say all of those things are now in the works -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Patty Davis, thanks so much. Well, for more insight in new airport safety rules, we turn to airline consultant Terry Trippler to talk a little bit more about this.

Hi, Terry.

TERRY TRIPPLER, AIRLINE CONSULTANT: Hi, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: So what type of guidelines do the feds go through before they make decisions like easing the safety procedures?

TRIPPLER: Well, they compare what's been happening. We've had that extra gate check-in. And their feeling is that that has not been necessary, that that has not turned up, really, any contraband, so to speak, that they're catching it at the main check points. And so, they realize that if they do a better job or a more thorough job at the main check point, the gate area is not necessary.

PHILLIPS: So do you think that security will be strengthened and the hassle will be reduced? And if, yes, tell me why; if no, tell me why not?

TRIPPLER: Well, I think the security will be strengthened somewhat because the TSA, so far, I am very impressed. They are very professional, they're very efficient and they're very friendly to people. They've been taught customer service. Add putting that into play, along with the extra security at the checkpoint, I think security will be strengthened. It has a long way to go -- I understand that -- but it's better than it was.

PHILLIPS: Now, why do you say "long way to go"?

TRIPPLER: Well, I think that we can't do anything to actually promise that things are going to be perfect. El Al, the Israeli airline, is known for their security and it was about a month ago a gentleman with a knife got on board there. So when you can get by the El Al security, you can just about do anything.

But still, we want to get better in cargo, we want to get better with screening the people at the airport. And I believe we will get there, but we have to come with a happy medium. We can't shut down the entire transportation system. We've got to come out with a happy medium that everybody can live with. And right now, it's not too bad, but it will get better.

PHILLIPS: All right, what's the status of the reinforced cockpit doors and also the air marshals?

TRIPPLER: Well, the air marshals are, pretty much, on a lot of flights, and they're not on every flight, of course. But they are on a lot of them, and they're doing an excellent job, from what I hear. And the reinforced cockpit doors are almost completed on all the airlines. And I understand, those things are pretty secure.

PHILLIPS: All right, background checks on employees -- this is something that's come up quite a bit. Is it going to get more stringent?

TRIPPLER: It's got to get more stringent. I think that's the one weak link we have. The major weak link is the background check. We've got to get tougher on that. We've got to find out what's been happening with people. We had situations where someone was working for the TSA, and here they had been arrested on a felony, and it was just caught in the shuffle. We can't have that. We've got to be tougher with these background checks, so we know who's in the airport, we know who's running for security.

PHILLIPS: Terry Trippler, thank you so much.

TRIPPLER: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: All right.

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