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All Bags Checked at Airports to be Screened For Explosives

Aired December 31, 2002 - 13:11   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: Well, it can be as high tech as a CAT-scan system or as low tech as a dog with a sensitive nose. But beginning today, all bags checked at the nation's airports are to be screened for explosives. CNN's Patty Davis, live, at Reagan National Airport near Washington.
Hi, Patty.

PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra. Well, here at Reagan National Airport, 100-percent bag check is now in place. And in fact, things have been going really smoothly here today. It could be because this airport is just not busy today. So maybe a true test will come later in the week, as people start returning from their new year's trips and their Christmas trips. Now, starting at midnight tonight, all 429 airports across the country will have 100-percent luggage screening.

ROBERT JOHNSON, TSA SPOKESMAN: On 9-11, only 5 percent of checked bags were screened for explosives. Tonight all bags will be checked. That's the difference. You can see a 95-percent change over the last year and couple of months. There is no comparison. That, on top of all of the other layers of security that have been put in place over the last year, makes it safer today to fly than it's ever been.

DAVIS: Now, you will not necessarily see consistency across airports across the country. Some airports will have the big bomb- detection machines right here in the lobby, like Reagan National does. Others will have them behind the scenes. Case in point, this video from Jacksonville, Florida, they're the first ones to have a so-called in line system.

Now, at other airports, in addition to those, the smaller airports, the medium airports, are going to have what's called trace detection. Now this is a swab that the screener places over your luggage, inside your luggage, it checks for explosive residue. Now some big airports could not get these machines in in time and about five of them that will have some of those machines, but they'll be supplementing them with bomb-sniffing dogs and hand searches of people's luggage, as well.

TSA says do not lock your bag. That is one of the big no-no's, because if the screeners have to open it, they're going to have to break your lock. What the airlines are going to be doing is giving out these little plastic locks and this little red lock feeds into itself. It locks your bag, rather than your lock doing it. It can be snipped away by the screener, if the screener needs to do it. It will be replaced then by a blue lock, so you know that your luggage has been opened. And inside your bag, there will be a note saying, in fact, that your luggage was opened. Here's an 800 number, if you see something missing. TSA says that it will take these, case by case. I'm sure a big liability question here, though, whether or not airlines might be partially liable, the TSA liable, big question yet to be settled.

Kyra.

PHILLIPS: I think, Patty, one of the first things that comes to my mind is what if something is stolen or missing? You're dealing with a whole 'nother issue here.

DAVIS: Oh, absolutely. And that's something airlines are very much worried about. Once the TSA is done with these bags, then they get sent off to the airline baggage handlers. So there's a lot of different people are handling your luggage. Who exactly do you go to? Who is to blame and the airlines and the TSA are going to have to work that out, they're saying, on a case-by-case basis. If indeed you do find something missing from your luggage, if it's been opened, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Hey, don't pack the jewels. Patty Davis, 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




Explosives>


Aired December 31, 2002 - 13:11   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, it can be as high tech as a CAT-scan system or as low tech as a dog with a sensitive nose. But beginning today, all bags checked at the nation's airports are to be screened for explosives. CNN's Patty Davis, live, at Reagan National Airport near Washington.
Hi, Patty.

PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra. Well, here at Reagan National Airport, 100-percent bag check is now in place. And in fact, things have been going really smoothly here today. It could be because this airport is just not busy today. So maybe a true test will come later in the week, as people start returning from their new year's trips and their Christmas trips. Now, starting at midnight tonight, all 429 airports across the country will have 100-percent luggage screening.

ROBERT JOHNSON, TSA SPOKESMAN: On 9-11, only 5 percent of checked bags were screened for explosives. Tonight all bags will be checked. That's the difference. You can see a 95-percent change over the last year and couple of months. There is no comparison. That, on top of all of the other layers of security that have been put in place over the last year, makes it safer today to fly than it's ever been.

DAVIS: Now, you will not necessarily see consistency across airports across the country. Some airports will have the big bomb- detection machines right here in the lobby, like Reagan National does. Others will have them behind the scenes. Case in point, this video from Jacksonville, Florida, they're the first ones to have a so-called in line system.

Now, at other airports, in addition to those, the smaller airports, the medium airports, are going to have what's called trace detection. Now this is a swab that the screener places over your luggage, inside your luggage, it checks for explosive residue. Now some big airports could not get these machines in in time and about five of them that will have some of those machines, but they'll be supplementing them with bomb-sniffing dogs and hand searches of people's luggage, as well.

TSA says do not lock your bag. That is one of the big no-no's, because if the screeners have to open it, they're going to have to break your lock. What the airlines are going to be doing is giving out these little plastic locks and this little red lock feeds into itself. It locks your bag, rather than your lock doing it. It can be snipped away by the screener, if the screener needs to do it. It will be replaced then by a blue lock, so you know that your luggage has been opened. And inside your bag, there will be a note saying, in fact, that your luggage was opened. Here's an 800 number, if you see something missing. TSA says that it will take these, case by case. I'm sure a big liability question here, though, whether or not airlines might be partially liable, the TSA liable, big question yet to be settled.

Kyra.

PHILLIPS: I think, Patty, one of the first things that comes to my mind is what if something is stolen or missing? You're dealing with a whole 'nother issue here.

DAVIS: Oh, absolutely. And that's something airlines are very much worried about. Once the TSA is done with these bags, then they get sent off to the airline baggage handlers. So there's a lot of different people are handling your luggage. Who exactly do you go to? Who is to blame and the airlines and the TSA are going to have to work that out, they're saying, on a case-by-case basis. If indeed you do find something missing from your luggage, if it's been opened, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Hey, don't pack the jewels. Patty Davis, 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




Explosives>