DieselDragRacer
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In response to public outrage over "granny pat-downs," the Transportation Security Administration will ease screening procedures for airline passengers 75 and older at O'Hare International Airport, officials said Wednesday.
The new screening protocols, to begin as a test on March 19 at O'Hare and three other airports, are similar to the less-intrusive screening implemented last year for children 12 and younger, the TSA said.
It means elderly passengers won't have to remove their shoes and light outerwear at airport screening checkpoints, officials said.
And instead of automatically being patted down if an alarm sounds, they will be permitted to go through touch-free screening equipment a second time to resolve the issue, officials said.
The policy shift is part of a new TSA focus to put more scrutiny on potentially high-risk passengers, said Kathleen Petrowsky, the TSA federal security director at O'Hare.
TSA screeners will make a visual assessment to determine which passengers are 75 or older and inform them of changes to the screening procedures, Petrowsky said.
Individuals may still be required to remove their shoes and undergo a pat-down if anomalies are detected during security screening that cannot be resolved through other procedures, she said.
In addition to O'Hare, the new screening will be tested at Denver International Airport, Orlando International Airport and Portland International Airport, the TSA said.
The new screening protocols, to begin as a test on March 19 at O'Hare and three other airports, are similar to the less-intrusive screening implemented last year for children 12 and younger, the TSA said.
It means elderly passengers won't have to remove their shoes and light outerwear at airport screening checkpoints, officials said.
And instead of automatically being patted down if an alarm sounds, they will be permitted to go through touch-free screening equipment a second time to resolve the issue, officials said.
The policy shift is part of a new TSA focus to put more scrutiny on potentially high-risk passengers, said Kathleen Petrowsky, the TSA federal security director at O'Hare.
TSA screeners will make a visual assessment to determine which passengers are 75 or older and inform them of changes to the screening procedures, Petrowsky said.
Individuals may still be required to remove their shoes and undergo a pat-down if anomalies are detected during security screening that cannot be resolved through other procedures, she said.
In addition to O'Hare, the new screening will be tested at Denver International Airport, Orlando International Airport and Portland International Airport, the TSA said.
