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IMPROVED DEFENSE OF USA
AIRLINE SECURITY

• President Bush signs an aviation security bill on November 19, 2001. Under a compromise measure, airport workers screening passengers and baggage will become federal employees 

• The new employees will be hired for temporary positions not to exceed six months to provide oversight and support at screening checkpoints, to assist screeners and supervisors as necessary, to help certify screening equipment, and to ensure that security is being performed correctly.

• FAA Expanding Air Marshal Program.
  The FAA is augmenting the Federal Air Marshal program with law enforcement officers from other federal agencies within the Department of Justice and the Department of Treasury. Training is under way and some of these agents have already been deployed as Federal Air Marshals.
• New Air Marshals Needed - How to Apply
  At the same time, FAA is actively recruiting Federal Air Marshals and has received thousands of applications from around the country. The job vacancy announcement is posted on the FAA’s employment Web site at http://jobs.faa.gov. The site gives information about the job, compensation, qualification requirements and directions on how to apply.

• Items Prohibited from Airplane Cabins.
  The FAA has prohibited the following items airplane cabins and must be placed in, or transported as, checked baggage or risk confiscation. The federal order banning the items was part of an FAA directive governing airline and airport security measures  They include: knives, cutting instruments, corkscrews, golf clubs, hockey sticks, pool cues, ski poles, baseball bats.

• FAA Air Traveler Advisory of 8 October 2001 with tips for safer air travel
• Holiday Travel Tips

• A veteran military pilot and current captain with a major U.S. airline submitted an article to AirSafe.com that addresses several chemical or biological warfare scenarios and suggests procedures that would limit the effects of such agents. At present, there are no airline or FAA approved procedures for dealing with either the presence of suspected biological or chemical warfare agents, or with the actual use of such agents in flight.