Known Crewmember Debuts in Seattle

September 13, 2011 - At 4 a.m. PDT, Seattle-Tacoma Int’l Airport joined Chicago O’Hare Int’l and Miami Int’l as a test site for the Known Crewmember (KCM) program. Two checkpoints are located at each end of Sea-Tac Airport—at the exit for the A concourse at the far south end, and another just north of the United Airlines ticket counters in the D concourse.

KCM allows TSA officers to verify a pilot’s identity and employment status via web-based connections to airline employee databases, permitting pilots from the 17 participating airlines to enter secured areas through dedicated KCM access points. Sea-Tac is the third of seven airports included in this phase of the program.
Alaska Airlines F/O Andy Mulcahy, who is based in Anchorage, went through one of Sea-Tac’s KCM access points today. He’d used the Chicago O’Hare checkpoint previously.

“It’s been great. Half of the ordeal of getting through the airport is getting through security,” he said. “Having us out of the way makes it easier on TSA and easier on us and the passengers. It’s good for everyone.”

Minneapolis-St. Paul Int’l Airport is set to open three KCM access points on September 20. The remaining three test airports—Phoenix Sky Harbor Int’l, Boston Logan Int’l, and Washington Dulles Int’l—are expected to come on line during the next several weeks. For more information, visit www.knowncrewmember.org.