Flight attendants told senators Wednesday that they deserve the same expedited security screening that pilots enjoy under an experimental program at airports.
Sara Nelson, international vice president of the Association of Flight Attendants union, told the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on homeland security that flight attendants get the same 10-year background checks as pilots, but aren't included in the experimental screening program called Known Crewmember.
The Transportation Security Administration's experiment allows pilots in uniform from 22 airlines to bypass regular screening at seven airports to get to their flights. The airports are Chicago O'Hare, Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Phoenix, Boston, Washington Dulles and Seattle. About 59,000 pilots have passed through since the program began in August.
Besides allowing TSA to focus on riskier passengers, the advantage for travelers is that checkpoint lines become shorter for everyone. Nelson, whose group represents 60,000 workers at 22 airlines, called for concrete dates when the program will be expanded to flight attendants.
"The time is now," Nelson said.
The subcommittee's chairman, Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., agreed.
"If any group is to be considered trusted travelers, it most certainly is our flight crews," Landrieu said.
But TSA Administrator John Pistole told the committee he wants to confirm the program is working before expanding it to other crew members.
He said a recent agreement with airlines and a pilots union will expand the program to 20 more airports, and that there have been several meetings to include flight attendants.
"I've been I think pretty clear about wanting to do this as a pilot initiative with the pilots to start off and then once that happened, would make a decision as relates to the flight attendants," Pistole said.
Sara Nelson, international vice president of the Association of Flight Attendants union, told the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on homeland security that flight attendants get the same 10-year background checks as pilots, but aren't included in the experimental screening program called Known Crewmember.
The Transportation Security Administration's experiment allows pilots in uniform from 22 airlines to bypass regular screening at seven airports to get to their flights. The airports are Chicago O'Hare, Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Phoenix, Boston, Washington Dulles and Seattle. About 59,000 pilots have passed through since the program began in August.
Besides allowing TSA to focus on riskier passengers, the advantage for travelers is that checkpoint lines become shorter for everyone. Nelson, whose group represents 60,000 workers at 22 airlines, called for concrete dates when the program will be expanded to flight attendants.
"The time is now," Nelson said.
The subcommittee's chairman, Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., agreed.
"If any group is to be considered trusted travelers, it most certainly is our flight crews," Landrieu said.
But TSA Administrator John Pistole told the committee he wants to confirm the program is working before expanding it to other crew members.
He said a recent agreement with airlines and a pilots union will expand the program to 20 more airports, and that there have been several meetings to include flight attendants.
"I've been I think pretty clear about wanting to do this as a pilot initiative with the pilots to start off and then once that happened, would make a decision as relates to the flight attendants," Pistole said.
