American Airlines asked the Transportation Safety Administration on Tuesday to reconsider the TSA decision to allow small knives and other previously banned items onto airline flights.
In a letter to TSA administrator John Pistole, American?s Will Ris said the carrier was voicing its concern over the knives issue.
Wrote Ris, American?s SVP of government and regulator affairs:
?We agree that it is important for the TSA to regularly revisit its rules and regulations, and fully support its frequent review of what is in the best interest of the flying public. The TSA?s guidelines are crucial to the safety of our crews and customers, and we have ? and will ? adhere fully to its policies.
?However, American feels that those guidelines are often most beneficial when we collectively discuss and review any proposed alterations that will affect our crewmembers and customers. In this particular case, we believe input from airlines, as well as the men and women who fly and serve the aircraft, would have been valuable to help determine the most useful and appropriate revisions.
?The safety of our people and our customers is paramount and we will continue to support policies that keep the airspace safe, and allow customers to move through the screening and security process as quickly and safely as possible. But we encourage the TSA to reassess its proposed revisions to the prohibited items list, scheduled to take effect April 25, to ensure that any and all changes have been thoroughly reviewed and vetted.?
Of course, American was one of two carriers that had flights hijacked and crashed on Sept. 11, 2001, by terrorists believed to be using box cutters. The revised TSA policy still bans box cutters, but allows small pocket knives.
Groups representing flight attendants, pilots and other airline employees, as well as various other groups and lawmakers, have expressed unhappiness at Pistole?s announcement last week that the TSA would no longer ban the little knives, golf clubs, whiffle bats and various other items that currently would get confiscated at the TSA checkpoints.
Since Pistole?s announcement last week, Delta Air Lines CEO Richard Anderson and US Airways CEO Doug Parker have written Pistole to express their concerns about the change in policy.
In Parker?s letter dated Monday, he also suggested that the TSA should have talked to the airlines before changing its carry-on policy.
?In particular, seeking input before implementing a change in policy that might place our flight attendants? safety at risk would have provided a more thoughtful path to the desired outcome of secure and safe travel,? Parker wrote to Pistole.
Anderson on Friday wrote Pistole that Delta agreed with a risk-based approach to security and suggested Delta could work with the TSA to find up with an acceptable way to streamline the security checkpoint process.
?However, we must object to the agency decision to allow small knives back in the aircraft cabin. We have consulted with our flight attendant group and we share their legitimate concerns regarding this decision,? Anderson wrote.
?These items have been banned for more than 11 years and will add little value to the customer security process flow in relation to the additional risk to our cabin staff and customers,? he added.
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