Previously, only pilots and flight crew would pass through metal detectors and other physical screening measures, while employees in charge of repairs, cleaning and luggage loading were exempt from such procedures through working beyond security checkpoints. In the light of recent events, screening will also be carried out on airport and airline employees before they are permitted access to secure areas of the airport. US senator Charles Schumer said: "When guns, drugs, and even explosives are as easy to carry on board a plane as a neck pillow, then we have to seriously - and immediately - overhaul our airport security practices. In this day and age of terrorism, rampant drug dealing and gun smuggling, we just can't be too careful." Investigations carried out by the NYPD and federal law enforcement illuminated "gaping holes" in the nation's airport security, attorney Ken Thompson said. "In this age of terrorism, basic protections such as screening airport employees, is critical to the safety of our country. Moreover, these loaded weapons were intended for the streets of New York where they could have been used to kill our residents or police officers."
It is hoped that screening everyone, rather than just passengers and crews, will facilitate the identification and removal of offenders and their contraband long before either reach the aircraft.
