Terrorism, Security and ALPA

It has been 2 weeks since a terrorist nearly brought down a planeload of Christmas travelers. Pilots have valuable, insightful ideas to improve aviation security. It is time for ALPA to go beyond the meeting rooms in Washington, and really lead the fight to protect the traveling public. I would like to see the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) President, John Prater, publicly addressing this crisis.

Airline pilots know all too well the critical importance of teamwork, yet teamwork is sadly weak and ineffective when it comes to aviation security.

How is it that:
• Many of the reforms called for following 9/11 are either incomplete or ineffective?
• A terrorists’ father talks to the CIA Station Chief in Lagos about the radicalism of his US Visa carrying son, yet that information doesn’t prevent the son from boarding a USA bound passenger jet to attempt the Christmas Day atrocity?
• A one-letter misspelling of a terrorists name prevents an arrest and enables an attack?
• Our political leaders are so partisan that they cannot even vote on a leader or approve a budget for the TSA?
• Pilots are the trusted in-flight security coordinators, yet high tech biometric screening of pilots has not been implemented?

As pilots we are married to this system of aviation security. We understand it. We know the problems. Yet with gaping holes in the “Teamwork” aspects of aviation security our Union Leaders need to lead a massive reform effort. Our passengers trust us. Let’s live up to the trust our passengers place on us by calling out the so-called experts then leading the movement for true Aviation Security reform?