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Prepared
Statement of
LEONARD L. GRIGGS, JR.
Director of Airports – City of St. Louis
Before the
Committee on Governmental Affairs
United States Senate
on “Weak
Links:
How Should the Federal Government Manage Airline Passenger
and Baggage Screening?”
September 25,
2001
Mr.
Chairman and Members of the Committee:
I am Leonard L. Griggs, Jr.,
Director of Airports for the City of St. Louis.
Lambert-St.
Louis International Airport served more than 31 million passengers
last year. Lambert,
historically TWA’s hub, is becoming a major hub airport for
American Airlines, as American takes over TWA’s operations and
personnel.
I
appreciate being invited to share Lambert Airport’s views on how
the nation’s aviation security system can be improved so that
our citizens will have renewed confidence that our skies are safe
and that the Federal Government is protecting airports and
aircraft operations from the full spectrum of possible terrorist
activities. I am
pleased that the focus of this hearing is airport screeners since
they are a key element in the defense against terrorists.
First,
Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank the Congress and President
Bush for having developed and enacted S. 1450, the “Air
Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act,” within a
single week’s time. This
legislation, which makes available $5 billion in direct grants to
the nation’s scheduled airlines, will eliminate the likelihood
of carrier bankruptcies due to business lost when the Federal
Government closed all our airports two weeks ago.
The bill’s loan guarantee program could reverse the
industry’s loss of creditworthiness resulting from the terrorist
acts of September 11. The
bill also provides for faster payment of claims resulting from the
New York City, Pentagon and Pennsylvania plane crashes that will
benefit the families of those lost on those flights.
Congress wisely added a provision authorizing $120 million
for continued air service to smaller communities.
Finally, we understand that $3 billion of the $40 billion
authorization enacted by Congress on September 14 will help
airlines with the security upgrades that have since been put into
the system.
There
is one important item that won’t require Congressional
legislation – and that’s the prompt reopening of Ronald Reagan
Washington National Airport.
I understand this issue will be resolved by the Federal
security agencies. However,
Reagan National Airport is an important symbol as well as a highly
important destination airport serving the National Capital area.
To paraphrase Washington Mayor Tony Williams, Reagan
National Airport is the front door of this city.
Keeping it closed symbolically keeps Washington closed and
tells the terrorists that they have won an important perceptual
objective – not allowing our pre-September 11 civil aviation
system to be fully restored.
I am confident security measures can be agreed to that will
make flying out of National safe.
Congressional
leaders indicated last week when endorsing S. 1450 that other
legislation will soon be developed to deal with other consequences
of those terrorist activities to civil aviation.
As you know, the scheduled airlines have announced more
than 90,000 employee layoffs since September 11.
Thousands of TWA/AA employees in the St. Louis region will
be laid off. St.
Louis Mayor Francis Slay supports Federal legislation to provide
continuing health benefits and extended unemployment assistance to
those laid-off airline employees.
On
September 16, DOT Secretary Mineta appointed two “rapid
response” task forces to make recommendations by October 1 as to
needed changes to airport and aircraft security systems. Staff of the St. Louis Department of Airports will be
participating in the work of those groups.
We expect the Bush Administration to make legislative
recommendations on how to organize Federal agencies, state and
local governments, and private parties to improve aviation
security during October as well.
-- Lambert-St. Louis
International Airport’s Response to FAA Increased Security
Mandates
Security measures at Lambert have been noticeably increased
in response to FAA’s directives over the last two weeks.
Law enforcement’s presence has been expanded with Lambert
police officers being stationed at all three of the passenger
screening points within the terminal.
This suggestion came from Senator Durbin, and we have found
that increased law enforcement presence reinforces the seriousness
of passenger screening and communicates to screeners how important
their functions are. Curbside
baggage check-in has been eliminated and access to concourses has
been limited to ticketed passengers and badged employees.
I’m attaching a more complete listing of increased
security measures that we have implemented at Lambert.
Other security measures, not publicly discussed, have also
been put into operation or are planned.
As a result, we believe that airport security at Lambert is
very high. I was
comfortable flying out of Lambert yesterday and believe that other
travelers should feel safe resuming their flights through our
airport.
-- City Of St. Louis
Recommends Additional Actions To Further Improve Airport And
Airline Security
As to aircraft security, St. Louis supports a
substantial expansion of the Federal Air Marshal Program for
on-board protection of passenger flights and improved protection
of the cockpit in airline aircraft.
In addition, the following is a partial listing of
additional security measures that St. Louis believes should be
considered by DOT and the Congress to further improve the on-airport
portion of airport security:
·
Review
of what items constitute a “weapon” for purposes of passenger
screening and availability within airport concession areas.
Setting aside questions
regarding the quality of the passenger screening function
conducted under “low bid” airline contracts at our airports,
it appears that the September 11 terrorists may not have violated
FAA screening guidance. The
short knives and box openers the terrorists may have carried
through passenger screening were permitted by FAA regulations at
that time. Wisely,
these standards have since been tightened.
Thus, it appears that these hijackings may have resulted
from a failure in designing, rather than implementing, screening
standards. Now
that screening requirements have been tightened, airports need
expanded guidance so that “weapon” materials aren’t
available in airport concession areas beyond the passenger
screening points.
·
Better
Federal intelligence sharing.
We have all
read in the press accounts of how information about some of the
September 11 terrorists was never passed on to local law
enforcement or airport police.
Federal intelligence agencies don’t timely share their
information with the FAA’s Civil Aviation Security Office and,
in turn, with local airport law enforcement.
Some have urged that expanded Federal intelligence efforts
must be approved and funded by Congress and the Executive Branch.
In our view, it is important that relevant, timely
information must be shared with us.
Airport security is the last ground defense to forestall
terrorism against civil aviation, but that defense must be based
on adequate, timely information.
·
Federal
enforcement agency support for airport proprietor actions.
The current list of enumerated crimes, the conviction for
which precludes an individual from having unescorted access to an
aircraft or secure area of an airport, needs to be expanded.
Additionally, the statute of limitation that precludes us
from considering the relevancy of a highjacking conviction after
10 years needs to be lifted.
Aggressive prosecution by United States attorneys would
also be helpful. Presently,
Federal prosecutors tend to rely on local prosecution.
A change in the law that would allow criminal history
checks of all personnel working at an airport would improve
security. Currently,
under Federal Aviation Regulation 107.31, only those individuals
who are granted unescorted access to secure airport areas can be
subject to the criminal history checks.
·
Federalized
passenger screening.
I believe, and a majority of my colleagues believe, that
the passenger screening function should be placed under control of
a Federal agency, probably within the U.S. Department of
Transportation, rather than being delegated, as now, to the
private airlines. The
federalized passenger screening program could be another branch of
the Federal Air Marshal Program under the Secretary of
Transportation. “Federalizing”
the passenger screening function should make it easier to pass
intelligence information concerning terrorist activities to
locations at risk and to local law enforcement agencies that back
up the passenger screening function at U.S. airports.
In addition to providing for Federal agency supervision of
passenger screening, individual screeners must be trained to
perform at a professional level.
Screener candidates should meet higher qualifications,
should undergo thorough background checks, and should receive pay
and benefits consistent with the critical importance of their
jobs.
·
Restriction
on carry-on baggage. Until
a Federal agency has taken over the passenger screening function,
it might be advisable to limit carry-on bags to one per passenger,
with some exceptions, to reduce the screener workload.
·
Improved
baggage, cargo and mail screening.
Congress
should assure that adequate numbers of Explosive Detection System
(EDS) devices and other current technology systems are available
for the inspection of unaccompanied baggage, cargo, and mail
packages. While these
issues have not been much discussed recently, improved screening
equipment as well as an expanded FAA and industry research and
development program will be needed to minimize risk to aircraft
from non-metallic weapons and explosive devices.
·
Upgrade
automated access control systems.
Airports are
already revalidating the badges of on-airport personnel who must
have access to secure areas, badging other employees, and
strenuously enforcing rules against “piggybacking” through
secured doors. But in
addition to using current systems to their fullest, airport
proprietors should be given Federal funding to continually upgrade
their access control systems for the air operations areas.
-- Congress
Should Help Fund the New Security Mandates Imposed by FAA on
Airport Sponsors
Lambert-St.
Louis International Airport is spending millions of dollars of
unbudgeted funds this year to implement the increased FAA security
measures announced since September 12. Just the costs for an increased law enforcement presence at
Lambert approximates an extra $72,000 per week.
The
City believes that “unfunded Federal mandates” should be
covered by general Federal funds or through expanded
authorizations from the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), a part
of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, or through Passenger
Facility Charges (PFCs).
Another
crisis we are facing is the cancellation and/or tripling of
premiums by Lambert’s liability insurance underwriters.
Airports will need help in addressing these
never-before-seen spikes in liability premiums or outright
cancellations.
In
addition to unexpected expenditures, St. Louis and all other
public airport proprietors have seen a dramatic loss of revenues.
In the last two weeks, Lambert has lost some $2 million in
concession revenues. Parking
revenues are being lost due to the Federal prohibitions on parking
near terminals. Passenger flows are down; at Lambert, our passenger flows
could be reduced 30-40% during the last quarter of the calendar
year. Again, fewer
passengers equals lower revenues from auto parking fees, from
in-terminal concessions (news and gift, food and beverage, etc.)
and from substantially reduced revenues from the
Federally-authorized Passenger Facility Charge Program (PFC).
Finally, because of these revenue reductions, $45.5 million
in current airport projects at Lambert have been deferred.
When
Congress begins to process legislation to improve airport and
airline security systems and to establish Federal operational
control of the passenger screening function, the City of St. Louis
will urge that airport financial losses due to terrorist
activities be compensated. As
an example, where an airport (such as Lambert) has issued bonds
secured by Federal AIP grants according to a schedule of annual
payments set out within an FAA Letter of Intent (LOI), these LOI
payments should be funded as the highest priority from
appropriated AIP funding levels.
Further, there should be a statutory set-aside to cover
these new security costs so that AIP funds for needed capacity
increases won’t be diluted by the new security requirements.
Again,
Mr. Chairman, St. Louis appreciates the opportunity to express its
views and recommendations on this most important topic of aviation
security. I would be
pleased to answer the Committee’s questions or to respond for
the written record.
Thank
you.
Attachment
PUBLICLY-ANNOUNCED
SECURITY ACTIONS TAKEN
BY LAMBERT-ST. LOUIS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
SINCE SEPTEMBER 12, 2001
1.
Have established airport police officer checkpoints at
security screening locations
2.
Concourses are restricted to ticketed passengers and badged
employees only
3.
Curbside
check-in of bags has been eliminated
4.
Increased foot patrol perimeter checks
5.
Explosive detection dogs visible to the public
6.
Increased guards and police officers at both terminals on
bag claim and ticketing drives
7.
Placed distance-parking restrictions at both terminal
buildings
8.
Prohibited trucks, SUV’s, vans etc., from using the
terminal parking garages
9.
Added vehicle checkpoints with guards to enforce the
parking restrictions
10.
Installed barricades and fencing as required for security
and parking restrictions
11.
Increased identification badge checks in the field
12.
In the process of revalidating approximately 12,000 airport
ID badges
13.
Badged additional 1000 employees to access the concourses
that previously were not required to have badges
14.
Airport-issued photo ID badges will be required to access
Lambert’s employee parking area
15.
Added signage and security type paging announcements
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