In a pivotal development
in its efforts to
achieve a risk-based
approach to aviation
security, the Air Line
Pilots Association,
Int’l (ALPA), today
joined with Airlines for
America (formerly the
Air Transport
Association) to announce
the intention to
expand the Known
Crewmember program to
all Category X and
Category 1 airports
across the United
States.
In 2011, the Known
Crewmember program was
tested at seven of the
nation’s busiest
airports, where it was
used more than 340,000
times to deliver
effective and efficient
security screening for
professional airline
pilots. The Known
Crewmember program
enables Transportation
Security Administration
(TSA) officers to
positively verify the
identity and employment
status of airline flight
crewmembers. As a
result, airline pilots,
who already undergo
thorough criminal
background and
employment checks as a
part of their
employment, are subject
to a more efficient
security-screening
process.
ALPA is working to
make the Known
Crewmember program
available to every U.S.
airline pilot, and 28
airlines have already
connected to the system.
The Regional Airline
Association and many of
its members also have
participated and
supported the testing of
the system. Both ALPA
and A4A have asked TSA
to include flight
attendants in the
system.
For more information,
visit the Known
Crewmember website:
www.knowncrewmember.org. |