Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
New Airport Rules
Aired December 31, 2002 - 08:11 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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: New year's rolling in. So are some new airport rules. By midnight tonight, every U.S. airport will be screening all checked bags for explosives.
What should you all expect?
Let's turn to Patty Davis, who's standing by at Washington's Reagan National Airport.
First off, it was a very busy day there?
PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, so far, actually, not so bad here at Reagan National Airport. Is this is an indication of what this bag screening deadline is going to look like, it's pretty good. There's a hundred percent bag screening in effect right now here at this airport and there are absolutely no lines.
A very big deadline tonight, as you said, Paula, where the TSA will screen all checked luggage. That deadline put in place by Congress after the September 11 terror attacks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES LOY, TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION: Job done, congressional mandate met, more efficiency to follow. Bottom line, all bags will be screened at all airports before they go on an airplane.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DAVIS: It's a mammoth task here for the TSA, screening up to two million bags a day. At the nation's 429 airports, now, up till now, it's been random checks at those airports. Most of the airports will use the big bomb detection machines that you see there, as well as trace detection machines, which can swab your bag. Now, about five airports, the TSA says, will not be able to make the deadline with those electronic explosive detection machines. They will be required still to do one hundred percent bag screening, but using bomb sniffing dogs, also doing hand searches to get that job done.
Now, to smooth your way at the airport, TSA has issued some guidelines here. Number one, do not lock your bag. The screeners may have to open that bag out of your sight and they might have to break that lock. Now, don't pack food or beverage. Dense items set off those bomb detection machines. And put personal belongings in clear plastic bags because if those screeners have to get in there and you don't want them touching certain things, they can still see what you have.
Now, getting back to the issue of locking your bags, if you use your own lock, TSA may have to break it, those screeners, if they need to get inside, if the bag alarms. But they also have this. This little plastic lock here, a red lock, the airlines will be handing out when you check in. You can lock your bag with this. It's cuttable and who cares if TSA breaks it and throws it away. It's fine.
If they have to get into your luggage, they would break this. They would replace it with a blue lock and put a sheet inside of your piece of luggage that says hey, we've been in here. Here's an 800 number, if you find something missing, call it, we'll deal with these issues on a case by case basis.
So that's where things stand, not looking too bad here at Reagan National, Paula.
ZAHN: Yes, it looks very slow there for a weekday morning.
Thank you so much, Patty.
You have a happy new year.
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
Aired December 31, 2002 - 08:11 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: New year's rolling in. So are some new airport rules. By midnight tonight, every U.S. airport will be screening all checked bags for explosives.
What should you all expect?
Let's turn to Patty Davis, who's standing by at Washington's Reagan National Airport.
First off, it was a very busy day there?
PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, so far, actually, not so bad here at Reagan National Airport. Is this is an indication of what this bag screening deadline is going to look like, it's pretty good. There's a hundred percent bag screening in effect right now here at this airport and there are absolutely no lines.
A very big deadline tonight, as you said, Paula, where the TSA will screen all checked luggage. That deadline put in place by Congress after the September 11 terror attacks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES LOY, TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION: Job done, congressional mandate met, more efficiency to follow. Bottom line, all bags will be screened at all airports before they go on an airplane.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DAVIS: It's a mammoth task here for the TSA, screening up to two million bags a day. At the nation's 429 airports, now, up till now, it's been random checks at those airports. Most of the airports will use the big bomb detection machines that you see there, as well as trace detection machines, which can swab your bag. Now, about five airports, the TSA says, will not be able to make the deadline with those electronic explosive detection machines. They will be required still to do one hundred percent bag screening, but using bomb sniffing dogs, also doing hand searches to get that job done.
Now, to smooth your way at the airport, TSA has issued some guidelines here. Number one, do not lock your bag. The screeners may have to open that bag out of your sight and they might have to break that lock. Now, don't pack food or beverage. Dense items set off those bomb detection machines. And put personal belongings in clear plastic bags because if those screeners have to get in there and you don't want them touching certain things, they can still see what you have.
Now, getting back to the issue of locking your bags, if you use your own lock, TSA may have to break it, those screeners, if they need to get inside, if the bag alarms. But they also have this. This little plastic lock here, a red lock, the airlines will be handing out when you check in. You can lock your bag with this. It's cuttable and who cares if TSA breaks it and throws it away. It's fine.
If they have to get into your luggage, they would break this. They would replace it with a blue lock and put a sheet inside of your piece of luggage that says hey, we've been in here. Here's an 800 number, if you find something missing, call it, we'll deal with these issues on a case by case basis.
So that's where things stand, not looking too bad here at Reagan National, Paula.
ZAHN: Yes, it looks very slow there for a weekday morning.
Thank you so much, Patty.
You have a happy new year.
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
