The ALPA National Security Committee (NSC) met March 9–11 at the Association’s Herndon, Va. offices to receive government briefings on the status of worldwide terrorist efforts and to review Association security-related projects and initiatives.

“Events during the last year involving several of our airlines remind us why pilots need to continually advocate for the latest, most comprehensive security measures,” said Capt. Robb Powers (ALA), ALPA’s NSC chairman. “We need to make sure that we are doing everything possible to stop those who would commit terrorism and other criminal acts.”

Terrorism was the theme for many of the presentations during the three-day meeting. Participants heard reports on the latest terrorist intelligence and background from representatives of the FBI’s Civil Aviation Security Program and its Behavioral Sciences Unit. They conferred with supervisory personnel from the Federal Air Marshal Service about the Federal Flight Deck Officer program and day-to-day operations. The pilots also talked about the threat of chemical/biological attacks on aircraft, the status of secondary-barrier standards, and the Committee’s ongoing efforts with law enforcement officers.

Capt. Bill McReynolds (FDX), NSC director of Cargo and chairman of the ALPA President’s Committee for Cargo, noted that the latest B-777 cargo model is being delivered to carriers with no cockpit door, and that this decision further erodes security in the all-cargo arena. ALPA staff also provided briefings on the status of Canadian and international security issues and CrewPASS, which continues to move forward. ALPA is working with a consortium of six airlines and their pilot groups to identify standards for CrewPASS and solicit bids from vendors to implement the new program.

Powers, who touched on each of the NSC projects in his chairman’s report, put the Committee’s work in perspective. “We must all recognize that there is an inherent difference between safety and security. Safety failures are the result of unintended consequences. Security failures are the result of intended consequences.”

The NSC’s next meeting is planned for late August in conjunction with the ALPA Air Safety Forum.