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To: steve who wrote (25627)	3/17/2004 1:29:33 PM
From: steve	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 26039

Small airports are secure Wed Mar 17, 6:20 AM ET By Mark Hatfield Jr. For more than two years, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has worked tirelessly to ensure the security of the traveling public at our nation's 445 commercial airports. Any assertion that some 5,000 small airfields nationwide need to be secured by identical measures as larger facilities is without merit. The TSA's tailored approach to security emerges from airport-by-airport, risk-based threat and vulnerability assessments. These critical analyses are not one-time exercises; the TSA constantly evaluates security procedures and intelligence data. If an airport's traffic volume, aircraft size or number of scheduled flights changes, we re-examine its needs and take the steps necessary to ensure appropriate security. In fact, the agency recently introduced federal screeners to seven airports in Alaska and Arkansas. The TSA has exceeded congressional requirements for federalizing airports set by the Aviation and Transportation Security Act of 2001. The law calls for federal screeners at airports with service using aircraft with 61 seats or more. The TSA has expanded the process to many airports served by planes with 19 seats or more. And regardless of the aircraft's size, all fliers going through federalized airports must be screened before they can catch a connecting flight. With regard to the law's requirements for general aviation aircraft, the TSA has implemented the "Twelve-Five" program that, among other things, requires carriers with aircraft that weigh more than 12,500 pounds to develop comprehensive security plans for ground facilities and flights; subjects flight crews to a fingerprint-based criminal background checks; and checks passengers' identification and names against the TSA's no-fly list. While TSA screeners are the most visible layer of airport security, to contend the aviation system is less secure simply because it does not have screeners is unfounded. Our multi-layered system also includes improved perimeter security and surveillance, regulatory authority, increased presence of local law officers and many other technological and intelligence-driven measures. The TSA not only has met the letter of the law regarding these airports, we also have exceeded it. We are committed to providing the systems that create the most secure air transportation network in the world. Mark Hatfield Jr. is Transportation Security Administration director of communications. story.news.yahoo.com steve