Enhanced Airline Pilot Security Screening
Begins at Boston Logan Airport
Program Strengthens Aviation Security, Expedites Passenger Screening
WASHINGTON, October 25, 2011 – The Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) and the Air Transport Association of America (ATA) today began operating the seventh test site for the Known Crewmember program at Boston Logan International Airport. Known Crewmember, an enhanced security-screening program for airline crew members, positively verifies a pilot’s identity and employment status, strengthening aviation security and shortening screening lines for passengers.
“Since 2007, the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l, has led a national effort, engaging with the Air Transport Association, the Transportation Security Administration, and the airlines, to make the Known Crewmember program a reality,” said Capt. Lee Moak, ALPA’s president. “This enhanced screening process recognizes the extensive background checks pilots receive as part of their employment and, importantly, airline pilots’ critical role and responsibility in securing their aircraft each and every time they fly.”
“We are pleased to partner with ALPA and TSA to advance an enhanced security-screening system that can improve security and reduce passenger screening congestion, benefiting both passengers and crew members,” said ATA President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio. “We urge the TSA to include flight attendants in the Known Crewmember screening system so that the screening system will be further enhanced.”
The Known Crewmember program enables Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers to verify the identity and employment status of airline flight crew members. As a result, airline pilots, who already undergo thorough criminal background and employment checks as a condition of their employment, will be subject to a more efficient security-screening process. Both ALPA and the ATA have asked the TSA to include flight attendants in the future.
It is the goal of ALPA and the ATA to make the
program available to all U.S. airline pilots, and 28 airlines already have
connected to the system.
Boston Logan International Airport is the seventh and final trial site for the
Known Crewmember program, with the other trial access points located at Chicago
O’Hare International Airport, Miami International Airport, Minneapolis–St. Paul
International Airport, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Seattle–Tacoma
International Airport, and Washington Dulles International Airport.
With the Boston Logan International Airport test site now operational, the Known Crewmember Program begins a 90-day evaluation period at the seven selected airports. At the end of the 90 days, the TSA, working with ATA and ALPA, will evaluate the results and consider a potential next stage of the program.
For more information, visit the Known Crewmember website: www.knowncrewmember.org
ABOUT ALPA
Founded in 1931, ALPA is the world’s largest pilots union, representing more than 53,000 pilots at 39 airlines in the United States and Canada. Visit the ALPA website at www.alpa.org.
ABOUT ATA
Annually, commercial aviation helps drive more than $1 trillion in U.S. economic activity and nearly 11 million U.S. jobs. ATA airline members and their affiliates transport more than 90 percent of all U.S. airline passenger and cargo traffic. For more information about the airline industry, visit www.airlines.org and follow us on Twitter @airlinesassn.
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CONTACTS:
ALPA, Media, 703-481-4440 or
media@alpa.org
ATA, Steve Lott, 202-626-4205;
slott@airlines.org