Bipartisan legislation recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would close an airport security loophole.
The Safer Skies Act would require the Transportation Security Administration to update the security screening requirements for Part 135 and Part 380 operators that operate passenger seat configurations of more than nine seats, offer individual seats in advance, and provide publicly available schedules. The change would means these operators would be held to the same security standards as other scheduled commercial airlines.
U.S. Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-NY) introduced the bill that was co-led by U.S. Reps. Jack Bergman (R-MI) and Marc Veasey (D-TX).
“Due to the reforms following the September 11th attacks, Americans have come to expect a high level of safety and security when they board a plane on American soil,” Langworthy said. “As the chair of the Aviation Safety Caucus, I’ve worked closely with partners and experts in the federal government and aviation industry to identify existing security gaps and maintain our high safety standards.”
The bill has been endorsed by the Air Line Pilots Association, Allied Pilots Association, American Airlines, Association of Flight Attendants, Association of Professional Flight Attendants, National Air Carrier Association, NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots, Southwest Airlines, Southwest Airlines Pilots Association , and Transport Workers Union.