Airline pilots cite continued aviation security gaps

A coalition of airline pilots said this week that there are still "gaping holes" in aviation security despite billions of dollars in improvements and actions taken by the Transportation Security Administration during the past few years.

The Coalition of Airline Pilots Association issued an "Aviation Security Report Card" giving airline and airport security below average or failing grades in nine of 14 areas. The coalition said the gaps "will require major changes in the way the airlines and airports do business and in the way the government manages airline security."

TSA issued a statement reprimanding the coalition. "CAPA's report card amounts to little more than a cheap union publicity stunt," the agency said. "The only thing it demonstrates is that CAPA leaders have been cutting class and missed most of the security lessons of the last year."

CAPA is a trade association of five pilot unions that represents about 22,000 pilots. It is smaller than the Air Line Pilots Association, which represents about 64,000 pilots from 41 airlines in the United States and Canada.

CAPA said its goal is to achieve "one level of security" for the nation's commercial aircraft operations "because terrorists don't care whether they use a passenger or cargo aircraft to achieve their means."

The areas graded in the report card were perimeter security; the screening of passengers, baggage, airline employees and cargo; credentialing; the Federal Air Marshal Program; crew training; threat intelligence; missile defense; passenger flight deck doors; and the Federal Flight Deck Officers Program.

Areas that received failing grades were the screening of airline employees, cargo screening, biometric credentialing for workers, self-defense training for crew, and technology for countering shoulder-fired missiles.

"The technology exists, or could be updated, to address many of these security problems," said CAPA President Jon Safley. "But the airlines, the airports and government officials have not given these issues the priority they deserve."

CAPA acknowledged that some improvements have been made since TSA was created, particularly in the areas of passenger and baggage screening, crew training, hire additional air marshals, and reinforced cockpit doors. The highest grade given was a B, which went to baggage screening and passenger flight deck doors.

"We should have one level of security to protect the American people," Safley said. "If we're screening passengers, we certainly need to screen employees who have access to aircraft and baggage. And not screening cargo on all-cargo carriers invites disaster."

CAPA said it is working with members of Congress, as well as TSA and the Homeland Security Department, to ensure that security deficiencies are addressed.