Federal and Texas authorities have spied American Airlines’ security checkpoint screeners at the carrier’s own Dallas hub repeatedly violating security procedures, American employees there say.
The Immigration and Naturalization Service and the Texas Department of Transportation have been supervising checkpoints at Dallas/Forth Worth International Airport in the wake of last week’s hijackings and attacks by Islamic terrorists.
DFW-based American contracts out its security operations to Globe Aviation Security Services Corp., which employs many foreigners who do not speak English.
Globe also runs the security checkpoint at American’s terminal at Logan International Airport, where five Arab hijackers were able to board Flight 11 with razors, box-cutters and even small knives hidden in cigarette lighters, reports say.
“The other day, one officer said to another, ‘One more violation, and they’re out of here,'” said an American employee who works in operations at DFW.
He says the authorities were monitoring X-ray and metal-detector screenings at Terminal A, near Gate 15.
“The security area by A15 has had some violations,” he said. “Employees who come in from the north parking lot have also complained about them [contract screeners].”
He says most of the screeners are from the Middle East or India.
“The security screeners should be Americans who speak English,” an American ramp worker at DFW complained. “When I go through security, they do not understand when I tell them I have steel-toed shoes.”
“We heard yesterday,” he added, “that by the end of the month, the screening companies will be gone and the federal government will be taking over.”
American is not commenting. And phone calls to the Federal Aviation Administration, which is expected Oct. 1 to announce a plan to overhaul airport security, were not immediately returned.
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