Aviation securityLapses in airport security spark concern
Representative Pete King (R-New York), the House Homeland Security Committee chair, is blasting the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for two recent lapses in screening procedures at airports; a Nigerian man flew across the country using an expired boarding pass without TSA agents noticing; in a separate incident, a passenger boarded a flight without having their boarding pass checked; Senator Charles Schumer (D-New York) is pushing for TSA to adopt technology that would allow security officials to scan ID documents to minimize fraud
Noibi allegedly used expired boarding passes successfully // Source: nigeriaworld.com
Representative Pete King (R-New York), the House Homeland Security Committee chair, is blasting the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for two recent lapses in screening procedures at airports.
King said he was “gravely concerned” about how a Nigerian man flew across the country using an expired boarding pass without TSA agents noticing.
According to the FBI, the man, Olajide Oluwaseun Noibi, made it through security and boarded a plane at New York’s JFK International airport headed to Los Angeles using an expired boarding pass. Midway through the flight, an attendant noticed him sitting in a seat that was supposed to be unoccupied. When asked for identification he presented an old student ID card and boarding pass with someone else’s name.
King is also upset about a separate incident where a passenger boarded a flight without having their boarding pass checked. Both events occurred on Virgin America flights.
Similar incidents of individuals using fake IDs to board airplanes have been documented before and in March Senator Charles Schumer (D – New York) pushed for TSA to adopt technology that would allow security officials to scan ID documents to determine if they are fake or have been reported stolen.
Senator Schumer’s push for new technology comes after a TSA agent was arrested at an airport in Buffalo, New York for allegedly helping known drug dealers bypass security.
“What happened in Buffalo is a jarring wake-up call that we must do a better job at airport security, and launching this cutting-edge identity-verifying system is exactly the response needed, first in Buffalo, and then across the nation,” Schumer said.
In response to the most recent incidents, King has issued a letter to TSA head John Pistole demanding a briefing by 8 July on how the document checker at JFK airport will be punished. In addition, King also requested more details on how the TSA will transition to a more streamlined “risk-based” security screening system.
Speaking before the American Association of Airport Executives in May, Pistole announced that TSA could expedite the airport screening process by having low-risk travelers submit information and undergo background checks ahead of time.
“While there will never be a guarantee of expedited screening—we must retain a certain element of randomness to prevent terrorists from gaming the system—this holds the potential to significantly change the travel experience,” he said.
In response, King wants more specific details on the plan as well as checks on existing employees.
“Committee staff has yet to be adequately briefed on the Transportation Security Administration’s risk-based checkpoint screening initiative despite repeated requests,” King said. “I urge you to audit the performance of all travel document checkers before fully implementing this program.”
