President Bush has the nation behind him in seeking to restore public confidence in airline travel, but the measures announced today are unfortunately inadequate.

The September 11th attacks were the worst terrorist attack in history. The completely unanticipated hijacking of four airliners by suicide hijackers destroyed the World Trade Center complex and part of the Pentagon resulting in nearly 7,000 dead and over 6,000 injured.

Insurance claims alone are now estimated at $30 to $40 billion. The U.S. Government has so far appropriated $55 billion to deal with the emergency. The economy has lost several hundred billions of dollars and the stock market has lost over a trillion dollars in value. The federalization and upgrading of aviation security to the level of other national security and federal law enforcement standards estimated to cost $6 billion per year more than the $1.3 billion now spent on this by the airlines and the government.

Incredibly, the national security 16 days after the September 11th attacks, still largely depends on resistance by unarmed passengers and flight crew members, and under trained, minimum wage airport screeners. It is also a reality, as confirmed by the Secretary of Defense today, that in the case of future suicide hijackings, the U.S. military may shoot down airliners.

The President announced today the following measures:

1) Stationing National Guard soldiers at airport screening stations. This could provide some psychological deterrence or reassurance to the public, but will be unlikely to improve screening of passengers or carry-on luggage for weapons or other dangerous materials.

2) Proposing grants of $500 million to the airlines to strengthen cockpit doors. This step will take months or longer and must apparently be approved by Congress.

3) Expanding the Federal Air Marshal program. The proposal could require months to years to complete and would apparently only cover a tiny fraction of flights.

4) Federal management of airport security. At present there are FAA aviation security managers at the airports. Strong management by the U.S. government will require Congressional approval and at the usual FAA pace would take years to complete with uncertain results. At present, the U.S. Government already pays for explosive detection equipment, and certifies all security equipment.

Since the terrible attacks of September 11th, the Aviation Consumer Action Project (ACAP), supported by the other public members of the FAA's Aviation Security Advisory Committee (the Victims of Pan Am 103, the International Airline Passengers Association) and the Association of Flight Attendants have pleaded with the FAA and the Congress to take two emergency security measures:

1) Secure the cockpits of airliners. Initially using armed guards and then with stronger doors and other barriers.

2) Restrict carry-on luggage to no more than one small bag subject to hand searching. This would improve security and reduce delays.

The FAA has failed to do either. The President today announced that the public should return to the skies and asks that the public trust the FAA and the airlines and airports and private screeners, the same system that failed on September 11th to stop 19 out of 19 suicide hijackers, again with the nation's national security.

The program announced today does not in the short term secure the system against a repeat attack. In the months and years ahead, the public will probably see improvements. But the record of the present system and its leadership is clearly one of delay coupled with weak, ineffective aviation security. No changes in the leadership of aviation security have been announced beyond the creation of an Office of Homeland Security in the White House.

The President has also rejected for now the proposal of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), also supported by ACAP, to temporarily arm and train flight crews until more permanent measures are in place. Likewise the FAA/DOT and the President have not approved other ACAP suggestions to temporarily use state and law enforcement officers or the military to ride all airliners until cockpit doors can be secured, or to install security screens in front of cockpit doors. There is a need for 30,000 temporary air marshals. The President also rejected, apparently on ideological grounds, proposals of ACAP and the Air Transport Association, representing the major airlines, for the Federal Government to take over aviation security.

Finally, U.S. DOT Secretary Norman Mineta has excluded all aviation security proponents, consumer or public representatives, air crash victim groups, all former FAA security officials critical of aviation security, and the manufacturers of advanced aviation security equipment from his advisory group, and has relied on an all industry advisory group. The FAA also canceled the scheduled meeting on September 20th of its Aviation Security Advisory Committee, and FAA Administrator Jane Garvey has not re-scheduled it despite many requests that she do so. These actions have cut the President off from any non aviation industry advice on aviation security measures.

Since September 11th, the airlines, airports and the private airport security companies have not improved the pay and training of screeners, have not made any changes in cockpit doors, nor asked the FAA permission for armed guards to be placed on airliners, nor sought to restrict carry-on luggage. American Airlines has already sought and obtained a waiver from the new FAA requirement that passenger names be checked against the terrorist watch list before boarding.

Most private airport security companies are foreign corporations that employ mostly non-U.S. citizens at major U.S. airports. A newly formed Aviation Security Association has called for the U.S. Government to contract directly with them so they can provide a European level of security at U.S. airports.

Paul Hudson, ACAP Executive Director, concluded: "The President must be made to see that the public needs real aviation security before it can have confidence again in the U.S. aviation system. The nation's national security and the lives of innocent persons at facilities targeted by terrorists deserve better than slight, slow improvement of the unaccountable patchwork that passes for aviation security today."

Paul Hudson, Executive Director ACAP
Public Member, FAA Aviation Security Advisory Committee
Executive Committee Member, FAA Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee