Expedited screening for flight deck crew members

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) yesterday
launched crewPASS, a test program designed to evaluate expedited access to secure areas
of airports for properly credentialed commercial flight deck crew members. The
program is a mandate of the 9/11 bill and will be evaluated at
Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Pittsburgh
International Airport, and Columbia, South Carolina Metropolitan Airport. Eligible
flight deck crew members will enter the secure area of these checkpoints via
the exit lane of the security checkpoint after presenting their airline-issued
identification and another form of ID to transportation security officers
(TSOs). TSOs will check these credentials via a secure, real-time flight deck
crew member database which includes a picture and other information to verify
the individual’s identity. Flight deck crew members who utilize this program
will be subject to random screening, observation by behavior detection officers
and other layers of security. “We are very interested in developing ways
to increase security through enhanced identity verification,” said John
Sammon, assistant administrator, TSA. “We are also interested in
evaluating this program’s ability to increase security by decreasing the number
of people being screened, which allows our behavior detection officers to focus
on individuals that exhibit suspicious behavior.”

This test, which is being conducted in cooperation with
the Air Line Pilots Association, will be limited to flight deck crew members in
uniform and is scheduled to conclude after 60 days, at which time a full
evaluation will be made.