An effort to close the gaps in the U.S airports security

An effort to close the gaps in the U.S airports security

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Airport security

The Department of Homeland Security will review security at airports around the country after Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) leaned on the agency to tighten up screening of staff. The pressure came after the December arrest of five men who used Delta employees to smuggle guns from Atlanta to New York on commercial flights.

The House Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs recently heard from John S. Pistole, Administrator, Transportation Security Administration, about future plans to screen 100% of air cargo on domestic passenger flights, as a means to handle the threat posed by various explosive charges introduced aboard passenger aircraft.

Homeland Security Director Jeh Johnson reviewed security at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson airport. He also underscored the ongoing efforts to develop fail-safe channels for essential threat information that will be made available to civil aviation authorities and industry.

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The House committee learned about the need to incorporate into international law, through appropriate UN frameworks, measures to govern the design, manufacture and deployment of modern anti-aircraft weaponry.

According to the Daily News, the department also asked the Transportation Security Administration to investigate “the issues related to the security of the sterile areas at airports nationwide.”

Schumer praised Johnson for “not taking lightly the recently exposed, gaping hole in our airport security.” Nevertheless, Schumer referred to DA Thompson’s recent bust of the Atlanta-NY gun smuggling ring, and said it “exposes the gaping and dangerous loophole in New York and national airport security, allowing errant airline employees to smuggle guns, drugs and explosives onto planes. Amazingly, most employees are exempt from going through metal detectors.” Schumer reiterated his demand TSA require each airport would develop comprehensive screening process for all employees.

The Homeland Security Department also said TSA will implement unspecified new airport screening requirements for employees and increase security patrols.