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Pilots Blast Airport Security

May 18, 2005
If you've had concerns about security as you buckled yourself into an airline seat, here's an uncomfortable fact: the pilots sitting in the cockpit are perhaps more concerned than you are.

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The Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations points to the recent arrest of a Russian man in possession of more than 1,300 counterfeit law enforcement badges, saying the government's failure to modernize airport identification technology poses a serious threat to the flying public.

The coalition cites published reports that the high-quality fakes were discovered along with New York Police Department uniforms, semiautomatic rifles and the used casing from a shoulder-fired missile. The badges, imported from Taiwan, skillfully mimic those of the FBI, Drug Enforcement Agency and NYPD, among others.

"Since the September 11 attacks, we have continually advocated for biometric identification for aviation employees and law enforcement officers that cannot be counterfeited," said Capt. Jon Safley, president of CAPA. "This technology's readily available, but it has not been given a high priority.

CAPA's comprehensive "Aviation Security Report Card" gave the Transportation Security Administration an "F" grade for failing to implement biometric technology. Biometrics, such as retinal or fingerprint scans, can accurately verify the identity of airline employees, law enforcement and security personnel.

"The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, passed last year, includes provisions for biometric IDs," Safley pointed out. "But until Congress actually appropriates funds, it remains an unfunded mandate. This is a golden opportunity for the TSA to make the case for biometrics and begin fielding a system."

Biometric IDs already are in use at the Department of Defense and a few airports, and TSA has been working on the TWIC program, a Transportation Workers ID Card, since 9/11. "Four years of study and testing is ridiculous when the technology is available," Safley said. "The TSA should move on this immediately."

The Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations is a trade association that represents the pilots who fly for American Airlines, UPS, ABX Air, Southwest, and AirTran.

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