AAA chief calls for expedited air travel security
The chief executive of AAA Mid-Atlantic is urging U.S. officials to rethink their approach to air traffic security and shift their emphasis from airport screenings to prior screening of passengers. In an article in AAA's magazine,
Regional AAA President Donald Gagnon urged an expansion of the Transportation Security Administration's Trusted Traveler Program, under which the agency gather information about ticket-holders before they even get to the airport.
“At AAA Mid-Atlantic, we know that job one is keeping all flyers safe, but wouldn’t it be nice if we could do that while actually restoring some of the pleasure to the airport and flying experience?” Gagnon wrote.
Gagnon's recommendations are far from a full-throated call for the dismantling of current screening procedures. But he does provide support for those who advocate a more targeted approach to screening.
AAA noted that the head of TSA, John S. Pistole, has indicated a willingness to consider a more risk-based system than the current approach of screening everyone -- either electronically or with pat-down.
