August 30, 2019

ALPA pilots:

I am pleased to report that, after active engagement by your union’s pilot leaders, the Known Crewmember (KCM) uniform requirement recently announced by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will not be implemented. Instead, the TSA has approved a plan developed by ALPA and other aviation stakeholders that strengthens the program and addresses recent security concerns involving KCM, without unduly burdening flight crews.

TSA will issue a notice Tuesday, September 3, to their officers about new crewmember identification requirements, which will become effective Friday, September 6,  2019. The requirements are:

• A crewmember who is wearing a uniform must present, as they do now:
• A non-expired government-issued photo ID; and
• An aircraft operator-issued crewmember photo ID

• A crewmember who is not wearing a uniform must present:
• A non-expired government-issued photo ID;
• An aircraft operator-issued crewmember photo ID; and
• A third form of identification, either:
• A valid FAA Airman’s Certificate
• A valid FAA Flight Attendant Certificate of Proficiency; or
• A second non-expired government-issued photo ID

In addition, current KCM signage will be changed to include the new identification requirements and a reminder of basic KCM rules—no prohibited items (including pets or pet carriers), carry only your personal property, and that KCM is not to be used for international personal travel.

The plan developed by ALPA and our aviation partners also includes improvements to KCM training and the documentation of a participating crewmember’s understanding of and agreement to the program’s rules, including non-compliance penalties, on a regular basis. Also, in the coming months, a new training video will be produced by ALPA, and in the future, TSA will adopt a standard biometrics protocol, which will be added to KCM as another means of identification.

This successful resolution could not have been achieved without the tireless efforts of many. Since the announcement of the new requirement on Saturday, August 24, the Association’s national leadership team, ASO Security representatives, and professional staff worked around the clock to develop this plan, in partnership with government regulators and other industry stakeholders.

We fully recognize the importance of KCM to pilots in terms of aviation security and the effect on quality of life. We know that KCM is a valuable, time-saving program—for our airlines, TSA, and flightcrew members—and we are delighted that our efforts to advance risk-based security measures continue.

Lastly, we are aware that at some locations pilots are being improperly directed to passenger screening if not in uniform and that the new KCM electronic randomizer function is selecting a very high percentage of crewmembers for passenger screening. ALPA has been and will continue working with TSA to resolve these problems as quickly as possible.

KCM has proven to be effective, secure, and cost-efficient. We are committed to and are thankful for the ongoing collaboration and support with our KCM partners.

In unity,

Capt. Joe DePete
ALPA President