In a pivotal development in its efforts to achieve a risk-based approach to aviation security, the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), today joined with Airlines for America (formerly the Air Transport Association) to announce the intention to expand the Known Crewmember program to all Category X and Category 1 airports across the United States.


In 2011, the Known Crewmember program was tested at seven of the nation’s busiest airports, where it was used more than 340,000 times to deliver effective and efficient security screening for professional airline pilots. The Known Crewmember program enables Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers to positively verify the identity and employment status of airline flight crewmembers. As a result, airline pilots, who already undergo thorough criminal background and employment checks as a part of their employment, are subject to a more efficient security-screening process.


ALPA is working to make the Known Crewmember program available to every U.S. airline pilot, and 28 airlines have already connected to the system. The Regional Airline Association and many of its members also have participated and supported the testing of the system. Both ALPA and A4A have asked TSA to include flight attendants in the system.
For more information, visit the Known Crewmember website: www.knowncrewmember.org.

Flight attendants? Oh geez. Waaaaaay too easy for a "bad guy" to get a FA job and then smuggle a weapon(s) onto an aircraft either for himself or for 10-20 extremists that have coordinated buying tickets on that flt.

What the hell is ALPA and A4A thinking?! There's also an extremely fundamental difference between FAs and us.......we have control of the airplane at all times and can do damage at anytime. They don't and can't. FAs bypassing security? I'm sure all of them presently have nothing but good intentions, but letting them through KCS is asking for a way for terrorists to be able to orchestrate another attack. It's a BAD idea!

I'm in favor of FA's having access to it. But I would like to see it limited to FA's with 10 years+ as a flight attendant in the industry.

Interesting food for thought. Perhaps not a bad idea as in theory those 10 yr employees have kind of "proven" that they don't have alterior motives. I'd still be uneasy with it though.

Just remember folks, the bad guys are very patient and 10 years is nothing to them.

FedEx or Egypt Air ring any bells? Pilot's are human too. I guess you never let your FO go to the bathroom and have a FA occupy the cockpit while you're strapped into your seat with an O2 mask around your head? Do you hide the crash ax from them???

my guess is ALPA's attempts to get FA's kcm access are superficial at best. The ATA/A4A is likely pushing much harder, because if the whole crew has access then the airline can plan to save 5 minutes and send us out to that super cheap motel 6 thats just about 5 minutes too far away right now..

I also think its a poor idea. Sadly when you hire people at 16-20k/yr starting, quite often you get what you pay for. I know a lot of these folks and have befriended many, but the majority of regional FAs see their job as a job, not a career. Many care, but many do not. You can replace that level of income in fast food, slow food, and retail in a matter of days. IMO "less to lose" means these folks present a higher risk of trying to sneak crap through.

Not only less to lose, but what is it, 3 or 4 weeks with no prior experience at anything (could even be someone's first job ever) straight to security bypassing flight deck access? Are we that terrified of being PC that we would not only not be fighting something as asinine as this, but actually going along with it?

Have we become so conditioned with the "me too!" neo-Bolsheviks that now we start shouting "them too!" first? Double you tee eff?

Not that ramp personel have "cockpit access", but there's PLENTY of places they have direct from the curb to the plane access via "secure" doors without being screened.

SIDA badger or not, the requirements for that or an airline background check aren't different.

FO go to the bathroom? I thought that is why we hang the trash bag from his arm rest.