Effective Monday, July 10, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) adopted a new security rule that requires that pilots who want to enter the sterile area possess either a SIDA badge for that specific airport or a crewmember badge for an airline serving the airport. This means that ALPA jumpseaters must now obtain a boarding pass or gate pass before entering TSA security screening if they do not possess the airport-specific SIDA badge and/or their airline does not serve the particular airport.

The TSA's rationale behind the change is to reduce the liability that airlines and ticket checkers face when they must determine whether an airline ID is legitimate for an airline with which they are not personally familiar. This problem stems from long-standing, inadequate airline pilot identification, which the U.S. Transportation Worker Identity Card (TWIC) or another suitable biometric ID card program would address.

The National Security Committee and the National Jumpseat Committee chairman are working to resolve the TWIC issue with the TSA and will keep ALPA's members informed on this situation.

 

Good, I remember getting pushed through the crew line and never searched just because I had my uniform and crew ID on, and we were a 135 charter. Never mind that, we had the lovely SSSS stamped all over our boarding pass that we were trying to show them.

 

Personally I think it's just another useless act... If a person has an air carrier badge and an FAA issued commecial or ATP certificate and is in uniform, what difference does it make what line they go through? You still have to clear security.

Requiring gate passes for crewmembers does nothing to ensure or enhance "security." How about FFDO's with federal IDs but traveling through airports that their company doesn't serve? Will they need a gate pass too in order to access the secure area?

The only thing that will come of this is longer lines for passengers (and crew) as they wait to get gate passes. And once they do obtain the passes, I can bet you that at some fiefdoms, I mean airports... those crewmembers will have to wait in line with regular passengers to clear into the secure area as opposed to having access to crew lines.

Not that I really care since I don't travel by commercial air any more, but seems kind of ridiculous to me. Once again finding ways to focus attention and effort on crewmembers that have had extensive background checks. It would probably be easier to just compile a book of ID's for the screeners to reference should they come across one that they don't recognize.

 

This is, indeed, another useless act by the Bush administration. What a waste. Instead of actually securing this country, they generate more useless tools for their beloved TSA to try.

 

TSA's problem is it is run at the management level by Law Enforcement background Personnel...With little understanding of aviation realities.

 

WOW, i still can't believe that people still blame everything on the Bush administration. Good grief, the man didn't just sit there in his office with all of this other kaos going on and say, "Hell what can i add to the airport security screening process that will **** some more folks off. Oh i know, let's **** the pilots off and make them get a badge for every airport they go through. Yeah that sounds good. Get it down in the books Condoliza."

Come on, this is some crap that Congess probably came up with; even funnier, somebody you probably voted for!!!!