The Known Crewmember (KCM) security program, which launched in 2011, has cleared more than 100 million crewmembers in a major milestone, Airlines for America (A4A), the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA), and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced last week.
The KCM program has 62 participating airlines and operates in 90 airports at 221 screening locations. It allows TSA security officers to verify the identity and employment status of airline pilots and flight attendants. Employees also undergo criminal-background and employment checks as a condition of their employment.
“With the TSA’s strong support, KCM has proven to be a vital component to a multilayered security screening process that allows TSA to refocus security resources, increase efficiency in security screenings, and significantly reduce wait times in security lines for pilots and the traveling public,” Capt. Tim Canoll, ALPA president, said. “ALPA looks forward to KCM’s continued expansion as well as further time and cost savings as the government and industry continue to adopt risk-based security.”
The program helps relieve airport congestion by reducing traffic through the general screening lanes used by passengers.
A total of 2.3 million passengers travel on U.S. carriers daily, Nicholas E. Calio, A4A president and CEO, said, and KCM provides improved customer service, safety and efficiency.
TSA Administrator David Pekoske called the Known Crewmember program “one of our most effective risk-based initiatives.”