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Major changes proposed to improve painful passenger screening
Proposed major changes may lead to reduced screening hassles for US airline passengers.
The federal agency in charge of aviation security is considering the changes. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is meeting later this month to consider a new plan.
An initial set of recommendations drafted earlier this month proposed that passengers no longer would have to remove their shoes.
The requirement has been one of the biggest sources of complaints among air travelers. The agency is currently looking into walk-through devices that can screen for explosives in passengers’ shoes without requiring that they be removed.
Under new guidelines, the ban on razorblades and small knives could also be lifted, according to newspaper reports.
A TSA memo proposed further to minimize the number of passengers who must be patted down at checkpoints. It also recommended certain categories of passengers such as members of Congress be exempt.
Edmund S. Hawley, the new head of the TSA, has asked his staff to propose more changes in how the agency screens two million passengers a day.
“The process is designed to stimulate creative thinking and challenge conventional beliefs,” said Mark Hatfield, TSA’s spokesman.
“In the end, it will allow us to work smarter and better as we secure America’s transportation system,” he added.
The federal agency has already moved towards simplifying the process by ending a requirement that all passengers remain in their seats during the first and last 30 minutes on flights using the Reagan National Airport.
The TSA, which spends more than $4 billion a year on airline security, has come under increased criticism for its often rigid and questionable standards.
Report by David Wilkening
David
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