Yet Another Airport Security Failure in the U.S

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In yet another demonstration of the weakness of US airport security, a man nearly managed to board a flight with a stolen boarding pass. Michael Salata got through security checks at the Salt Lake City airport without hindrance before being stopped by Southwest Airlines staff at the boarding gate.

Salata, 61, was arrested after checking into a flight headed to Oakland, California. He had stolen the boarding pass from a Southwest Airlines counter, where it was left by mistake. Staff at the boarding gate became suspicious as a replacement pass has already been printed, and the original holder had already boarded.

“He tried to make it seem like it was a mistake, that the boarding pass printed incorrectly, or that he grabbed the wrong boarding pass,” said Craig Vargo, chief of airport police.

Vargo provided no explanation of how the man managed to get through security checks, and why TSA agents failed to notice the discrepancy between the names on the boarding pass and Salata’s driver’s license.

TSA spokeswoman Lori Dankers said an agent misidentified Salata, a registered sex-offender, but that he was properly screened for dangerous substances. She declined to comment on whether anyone has been disciplined for the breach.

Southwest Airlines spokeswoman Brandy King said the airline’s system worked in flagging the miscreant would-be passenger, but that the airline relies on the TSA for security, including verification of boarding passes and identification.

This incident is just one of many that came to light in recent months where the Transportation Security Administration has woefully miscarried its duties. In a recent report by the DHS Inspector General it was revealed that the agency allowed weapons to slip through security in 95 percent of cases during stress testing.