STATEMENT OF RICHARD F. LALLY ON BEHALF OF: AIR TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA CONCERNING AVIATION SECURITY BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON AVIATION OF THE HOUSE PUBLIC WORKS AND TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APRIL 25, 1989 AVIATION SECURITY ON BEHALF OF THE AIR TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION WHICH REPRESENTS THE MAJOR UNITED STATES SCHEDULED AIRLINES, I AM PLEASED TO AGAIN DISCUSS WITH THE SUBCOMMITTEE THE IMPORTANT TOPIC OF AVIATION SECURITY, ESPECIALLY THE LEGISLATION INTRODUCED BY THE CHAIRMAN TO. REQUIRE INSTALLATION AND USE OF EXPLOSIVE DETECTION EQUIPMENT. THE AIRLINES SUPPORT THE OBJECTIVES OF H.R. 1659, THE "AVIATION SECURITY ACT OF 1989", BUT WE DO HAVE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE THINK COULD CONTRIBUTE TO ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS IN AVIATION SECURITY. IN THE COURSE OF DISCUSSING THE SPECIFICS OF THAT LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL, HOWEVER, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SOME GENERAL OBSERVATIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE TERRORIST THREAT FACING INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION TODAY. THE FIRST POINT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IS THAT TRAVEL ON U.S. FLAG CARRIERS IS SAFE AND SECURE. THE U.S. AIRLINES WITH SERVICE OVERSEAS HAVE HAD EXTRAORDINARY SECURITY MEASURES IN EFFECT FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS AT 45 HIGH RISK AIRPORTS, MOST OF WHICH ARE LOCATED IN EUROPE AND THE MIDDLE EAST. FOLLOWING THE BOMBING OF PAN AM FLIGHT 103, DECEMBER 21, 1988, THOSE EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES WERE MADE EVEN MORE STRINGENT. TODAY, THE SECURITY PROVIDED BY U.S. FLAG CARRIERS IS AS GOOD AS THAT PROVIDED BY ANY FOREIGN AIRLINE, WITHOUT EXCEPTION, AND IN MOST CASES IS FAR BETTER. 2 HOWEVER, THE MORE STRINGENT SECURITY MANDATED BY FAA DECEMBER 29, 1988 FOR U.S. AIRLINES WAS NOT REQUIRED OF FOREIGN AIR CARRIERS SERVING THE U.S. FROM THE SAME HIGH-THREAT FOREIGN AIRPORTS, DESPITE THE FACT THAT SOME 50% OF U.S. CITIZENS WHO TRAVEL ABROAD FLY ON FOREIGN AIR CARRIERS. THE FACT THAT FOREIGN CARRIERS DO NOT OPERATE UNDER THE SAME SECURITY RULES IS, I THINK, AN OBVIOUS FLAW IN FAA'S CURRENT SECURITY PROGRAM. WE BELIEVE IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT FAA BE REQUIRED TO IMPOSE THE SAME HEIGHTENED SECURITY MEASURES ON FOREIGN CARRIERS SERVING THE U.S. THAT THEY IMPOSED ON U.S. CARRIERS IN THE WAKE OF THE PAN AM CRASH. MY SECOND POINT IS THAT THE NATURE OF THE SECURITY THREAT WE FACE IS FAR DIFFERENT (AND FAR MORE DANGEROUS) FROM WHAT IT WAS IN THE EARLY SEVENTIES WHEN WE FIRST BEGAN SCREENING PASSENGERS AND THEIR CARRY-ON BAGGAGE. BACK THEN, HIJACKING WAS THE PRIMARY THREAT. NOW, IT IS SABOTAGE BY INTERNATIONAL TERRORISTS SEEKING TO INFLUENCE THE BEHAVIOR OF GOVERNMENTS THROUGH ACTS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST COMMERCIAL AVIATION. MODIFICATION OF GOVERNMENT POLICY IS THEIR REAL GOAL, COMMERCIAL AVIATION MERELY THE SURROGATE TARGET. THE ATTACK ON PA-103 WAS NOT AIMED AT ANY OF THE PASSENGERS OR CREW, OR AT THE AIRLINE ITSELF. CLEARLY THE TERRORISTS' TARGET WAS THE U.S. GOVERNMENT. MEETING THIS NEW THREAT REQUIRES GREATER GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT IN AIRLINE SECURITY. THE U.S. GOVERNMENT MUST GO BEYOND ITS TRADITIONAL REGULATORY ROLE AND BECOME A DIRECT PARTICIPANT AND AN ACTIVE PARTNER OF THE AIRLINES IN SECURITY. WHAT IS NEEDED IS CONTINUING AND DIRECT ASSISTANCE OF A HANDS-ON NATURE TO NOT ONLY HELP THE AIRLINES, BUT TO PROVIDE CONSTANT INTERACTION WITH FOREIGN AIRPORT AUTHORITIES TO ASSURE TOTAL SECURITY SUPPORT FOR U.S. AIRLINE OPERATIONS. WE BELIEVE THAT THE FAA SHOULD CONCENTRATE ITS OWN SECURITY RESOURCES WHERE THEY ARE NEEDED MOST. WITH CURRENTLY PROPOSED BUDGET INCREASES WHICH WE SUPPORT FAA'S SECURITY WORK FORCE WILL BE CLOSE TO THE 700 LEVEL. WE WERE PLEASED WITH SECRETARY SKINNER'S ANNOUNCEMENT APRIL 3rd THAT ADDITIONAL FAA SECURITY SPECIALISTS WILL BE REDEPLOYED TO SELECTED U.S. AND OVERSEAS AIRPORTS. THESE MOVES MUST BE IN SUFFICIENT NUMBERS AND IMMEDIATE, WITH THE CLEAR UNDERSTANDING THAT THE EXPERTS ARE TO WORK WITH FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS AND PROVIDE CONTINUING ASSISTANCE TO U.S. AIRLINES TO ASSURE THE ADEQUACY OF U.S. AIRLINE SECURITY PROGRAMS. THE FAA SECURITY SPECIALISTS SHOULD BE ASSIGNED TO AIRPORTS WHERE THE THREAT OF TERRORISM IS GREATEST SPECIFICALLY TO EUROPE, THE MIDDLE EAST AND THE FAR EAST. ALTHOUGH TODAY'S TERRORISM THREAT IS CONCENTRATED IN THOSE AREAS, VERY FEW OF FAA'S SECURITY EXPERTS ARE ASSIGNED TO THOSE LOCATIONS. I AM NOT SUGGESTING THAT THE FAA ABANDON ITS SECURITY RESPONSIBILITIES AT DOMESTIC AIRPORTS BUT I AM SUGGESTING THAT IT MUST ASSIGN MORE OF ITS SECURITY PEOPLE TO GROUND DUTIES IN SUPPORT OF AIRLINE SECURITY ACTIVITIES AT HIGH RISK AIRPORTS OVERSEAS. NEXT, WE HAVE RECOMMENDED THAT THE GOVERNMENT SPEED THE DEVELOPMENT AND AVAILABILITY OF EMERGING NEW TECHNOLOGIES THAT DETECT HIDDEN EXPLOSIVES. FAA HAS HAD PROMISING RESULTS IN RECENT IT ALSO HAS ACHIEVED SIGNIFICANT BREAKTHROUGHS IN THE FAA ANNOUNCED IT WILL BUY SIX THERMAL NEUTRON MACHINES THIS YEAR AND WILL DO ALL THAT IT CAN TO BRING THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY ON LINE QUICKLY. SECRETARY SKINNER'S APRIL 3 ANNOUNCEMENT ADVISED THAT AIRLINES WILL BE REQUIRED TO INSTALL AS MANY AS 100 EXPLOSIVE DETECTION SYSTEMS SUCH AS TNA UNITS AT MAJOR U.S. AND FOREIGN AIRPORTS AS SOON AS THEY ARE AVAILABLE. THESE ARE THE FIRST APPROVED EXPLOSIVE DETECTION TECHNIQUES TO EMERGE FROM A 15 YEAR FAA RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. THEY ARE GOOD FIRST STEPS. WE BELIEVE THAT THE EQUIPMENT SHOULD BE INSTALLED ON A PRIORITY BASIS AT HIGH THREAT FOREIGN AIRPORTS WHERE THE THREAT IS GREATEST. |