ALPA Reps Talk Security with DHS Secretary ALPA president Capt. John
Prater had what he later described as a “very positive” hour-long meeting with
Janet Napolitano, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, at DHS
headquarters in Washington, D.C., on June 29. Joining Prater were Capt. Robb
Powers (Alaska), chairman of ALPA’s National Security Committee, and Jim
Andresakes, supervisor, Aviation Security, of the ALPA Engineering and Air
Safety Department. Noah Kroloff, DHS chief of staff for policy, and Art Macias,
chief of staff, Office of the Administrator, Transportation Security
Administration (TSA), also participated in the discussions.
The ALPA reps talked about the Association’s four greatest concerns regarding
airline and airport security: the need for (1) improvements in the Federal
Flight Deck Officer (FFDO) program, (2) secondary cockpit barriers on all
passenger and all-cargo airliners, (3) transition to a trust-based aviation
security screening system, and (4) improvements to security in the all-cargo
domain that will achieve one level of safety and security equal to that of
passenger airlines.
Regarding the FFDO program, Prater pointed out that the program needs more
money (ALPA has asked Congress to double the program’s budget). He said the size
and organization of the inadequately staffed managerial structure that
administers the FFDO program also needs an overhaul. One measure of the
program’s budgetary woes is a recent slowdown in the rate of acceptance of FFDO
candidates into the program.
As for secondary cockpit barriers, Prater reiterated
ALPA’s strong support for this equipment, noting, “We believe they add much to
the security equation.” Secondary barriers force a would-be hijacker to reveal
his or her intent and slow down the hijacker, thus giving the flight crew time
to take appropriate defensive actions. While United Air Lines has been able to
install secondary barriers in some of its passenger fleet without much cost, the
standards for secondary barriers are being developed in an RTCA Special
Committee (a government-industry group that develops technical standards to
recommend to the FAA). RTCA SC-221 is working to establish minimum operations
specifications (MOPS) for the hardware and accompanying crew procedures, and is
expected to complete its work in December 2010.
Prater and Powers briefed the secretary on ALPA’s proposal to change the
current U.S. airport security screening system from one that searches for
objects to a “trust-based” screening system that streamlines the passage of
vetted passengers and employees through screening and focuses on detecting
persons with malicious intent. Napolitano agreed in principle, “acknowledging
value in what we had to say,” Powers reports. She also cited efforts along these
lines already used at some foreign airports to screen passengers bound for the
United States.
Regarding needed improvements in all-cargo security, the ALPA reps thanked
Napolitano for improvements that DHS has made in cargo security. However, the
bulk of those improvements have been made regarding belly freight on passenger
airliners. Although some improvements have been made in the all-cargo domain,
work remains to be done to achieve one level of safety and security for
passenger and all-cargo airlines.
The ALPA reps pointed specifically to the need for (1) reinforced cockpit
doors on all-cargo airliners, as is required on passenger airliners—both for
retrofits and new freighter designs, and (2) better security training for
all-cargo flight crews.
Training on the “Common Strategy” to thwart terrorism is mandatory for pilots
and flight attendants who work for passenger airlines but is voluntary in the
all-cargo world. (This despite the fact that, in the final rule it issued on
cargo security in May 2006, the TSA acknowledged that the greatest security
threat to all-cargo airliners is the possibility of a hostile takeover.)
The conversation briefly touched on the lack of requirements for a security
identification display area (SIDA) on cargo ramps. Cargo operations are not
afforded the protections that passenger airlines, with SIDA restrictions, have
had for some time. |