AviationTSA reverses course on knives-on-planes policy
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has abandoned, for now, its proposal to allow travelers to carry small knives on airplanes owing to significant opposition from lawmakers, air marshals, law enforcement officials, and flight attendants.
The Transportation Security Administration(TSA) has abandoned, for now, its proposal to allow travelers to carry small knives on airplanes owing to significant opposition from lawmakers, air marshals, law enforcement officials, and flight attendants.
The announcement of the delay was praised by many.
“By delaying this policy, the TSA is taking a solid, common sense step in the direction of safer skies. This delay acknowledges that permitting knives on planes is a bad idea; now the TSA should go the rest of the way and end this flawed policy all together,” Senator Charles Schumer (D-New York) said in a statement.
The Hill reportsthat TSA released a statement on Monday saying its decision to allow knives with a blade shorter than 2.36 inches would not move forward as planned “in order to accommodate further input from the Aviation Security Advisory Committee.”
“This timing will enable TSA to incorporate the feedback about the changes to the Prohibited Items Listand continue workforce training.”
Knives have not been allowed on flights since the 9/11 attacks, when hijackers used box-cutting blades to take over four U.S. flights.
Earlier this year the TSA announced that it would begin to allow small knives on flights as part of a risk-based security initiative which would give screeners more time to search for high impact weapons, such as bombs.
The risk-based initiatives has its supporters, but the plan to allow small knives back on planes upset many, including lawmakers, and 133 House members sign a letter to TSA administrator John Pistole asking him to keep small knives on the agency’s prohibited list.
Lawmakers also introduced legislation to force the TSA not to implement the new policy. Representative Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts) started the No Knives Act. Schumer and Lisa Murkowksi (R-Alaska) introduced similar legislation in the Senate.
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants(APFA) is happy with the decision but is still pushing for the TSA to drop the plan completely.
“Knives were the terrorists’ weapons of choice in bringing down four jetliners and murdering thousands of Americans. All knives should be banned from planes permanently,” the APFA said in a statement.
