airline security:what it was and what it is today
Security in airlines has been greatly increased as a result of the September 11 hijacking of four American aircrafts. These attacks caused much panic in airports, and thousands of Americans were terrified of flying. As a result, this has not only improved the security in airlines, somewhat a comfort for both passengers and the American government, but has also hurt many small airlines. "Some of our smaller brethren may not make it," says Samual D. Addoms, chief executive of Frontier Airlines Inc. It seems that several frightened Americans are even purchasing the use of private jets, paying the high fees because they feel it's a safer way to fly.
The recent terrorist attack is not the first airlines have endured that has made them boost up their security. There has been plenty of earlier warning about problems with airline security, especially after the terror attack on Pan Am 103 over Scotland. Argenbright, which is a unit of Britain's Securicor Group Plc, was fined $1.2 million in October of 2000 after violations of falsifying records, performing inadequate background checks, and hiring workers with previous criminal records in Philadelphia, Washington, Logan in Boston, New York's LaGuardia, and Dallas-Fort Worth. These kinds of violations have been discovered in many other airlines, but the fines are obviously not correcting the problem.
In the meantime, the government is stepping in and trying to prevent attacks like the one on September 11. Machines that screen to detect bombs have been forced to be used much more; before the attacks, these machines screened an average of only 350 bags per day, while having the capacity to screen 150 bags per hour. This vital security, which was not frequently used, might have prevented the terrorist attacks. "Despite a recognized need for heightened security, air carriers still are not fully utilizing these machines to the maximum extent possible," Transportation Inspector General...
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