Whereas actual particulars stay to be seen, it could seem that airline pilots and flight attendants could must persistently begin going by way of airport safety as of subsequent 12 months…
TSA introducing Expedited Crew Entry
In accordance with Aero Crew Information, in 2023 the Identified Crewmember Program (KCM) might be changed by a brand new program branded as Expedited Crew Entry (ECA). This could now not be a joint initiative with the Air Line Pilots Affiliation and Airways for America, however fairly would totally be underneath the management of the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA).
Whereas I haven’t seen the doc myself, this has allegedly been outlined in a Identified Crewmember replace, following a gathering with TSA Administrator David Pekoske.
Within the meantime, random screenings by way of this system will proceed to extend, to attenuate the variety of prohibited gadgets being introduced by way of safety.
For context, with the Identified Crewmember Program, eligible pilots and flight attendants don’t must clear safety when passing by way of airports.
As an alternative there’s a particular lane they’ll undergo, the place they must scan their badge, after which they’ll go proper by way of the checkpoint, with out being screened. The exception is that workers will generally be randomly chosen to be screened, and the variety of random screenings has reportedly elevated considerably in latest months (and can proceed to extend).
My tackle TSA Identified Crewmember Program adjustments
Simply a few weeks in the past I posed the query of whether or not the Identified Crewmember Program ought to be reconsidered. We’ve seen an rising variety of individuals smuggling medication and different prohibited gadgets by way of these checkpoints.
In any case, there’s massive cash in smuggling medication, and maybe some newly minted flight attendants don’t really feel like they’ve that a lot to lose career-wise. If they’ll make their annual wage as a flight attendant with a few “runs,” then they may determine it’s well worth the danger.
What’s my tackle these alleged adjustments?
- On the one hand, I do assume it’s time that some adjustments are made to the Identified Crewmember Program, purely based mostly on the quantity of people that have abused it
- Alternatively, totally screening pilots and flight attendants will take up extra TSA sources and will result in longer strains at safety; moreover, the TSA isn’t really superb at discovering hidden objects
- At the least within the case of pilots, I believe screening is form of pointless, since they’re flying the aircraft, and in the event that they needed to do one thing…
- Finally I additionally get the argument that the TSA isn’t there to cease medication, however fairly to cease weapons; that being stated, if somebody is smuggling kilos of cocaine and fentanyl, getting that off the streets (or out of the skies) doesn’t appear to be a foul factor
Anyway, I’m curious to see what the brand new process appears like. Will the Expedited Crew Entry program require all pilots and flight attendants to be screened, or…?
Backside line
For years, pilots and flight attendants haven’t needed to commonly undergo safety, because of the Identified Crewmember Program. With a rise in vacationers utilizing these checkpoints to smuggle stuff onto planes, evidently it’s going to be reconsidered.
As of 2023, the TSA will allegedly be introducing Expedited Crew Entry, which is able to exchange the Identified Crewmember Program. I’m curious to be taught all the main points of what this can appear like.
What do you make of the information of the TSA changing the Identified Crewmember Program with Expedited Crew Entry?
