Since the Transportation Security Administration was created in the wake of 9/11, terrorists haven’t carried out any large-scale attacks involving commercial airliners or U.S. airports.
Some say that’s a testament to the TSA and proof that its security measures are working.
But some aviation security experts say the TSA, created 20 years ago on Nov. 19, 2001, isn’t as infallible as many travelers would like to believe.
“One point of view is airplanes are not falling out of the sky, so they must be doing a hell of a good job,” said Art Kosatka, CEO of the Maryland-based aviation security consulting firm TranSecure.
But that’s not quite his perspective.
Kosatka, a longtime critic of the TSA, acknowledged that the agency has made strides in its use of technology and many of its tactics seem effective. But he said he remains skeptical of how well the TSA is prepared for new challenges.
“The bad guys aren’t stupid,” he said. “They keep trying new things.”
The TSA says it does more than man security checkpoints at airports, check travelers’ identification and operate metal detectors.
“TSA uses an intelligence-based approach and works closely with transportation, law enforcement and intelligence communities to set the standard for excellence in transportation security,” TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said.
The TSA said it takes steps to protect against different kinds of threats. The agency said it monitors video surveillance of airports, conducts police dog sweeps and checks for concealed threats in luggage. Agents also are trained to monitor for suspicious behavior among passengers.
Officials say tmproved technology ensures all luggage is checked before it’s put on the plane.
TSA screens 1.4 million checked items for explosives or other dangerous items daily, according to agency data. It also screens 5.5 million carry-on items every day. There are about 950 advanced imaging technology machines with privacy-protecting software at airports across the country.
So far this year, TSA agents have detected and confiscated 33 guns at Pittsburgh International Airport security checkpoints, according to the TSA. Authorities seized 21 guns at checkpoints last year when air travel was greatly reduced in the midst of the covid-19 pandemic, compared with 35 guns in 2019, 34 in 2018 and 32 in 2017.
At Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Unity, authorities had seized six guns so far this year, compared with one gun last year, three guns in 2019 and two in both 2018 and 2017.
More guns leads to stricter penalty
The uptick in gun confiscations at airport checkpoints spurred local and federal authorities to implement new rules that put travelers’ firearms licenses on the line if they try to bring a gun through a TSA checkpoint.
In early October, days after airport security officers caught their fifth gun in six days, exasperated airport and law enforcement officials announced that, starting immediately, authorities would recommend revocation of an individual’s license to carry to sheriffs in their home counties.
The strict gun regulations and the TSA’s apparent success in preventing weapons from boarding planes helps some travelers feel at ease.
“TSA seems to be doing their job pretty well,” said Kai Jackson, 20, who flew into Pittsburgh from California on Thursday.
As a frequent traveler, Jackson said he believes that airport checkpoints have gotten more efficient over the past several years. He credited TSA for an efficient travel process and providing a sense of safety in the sky.
Brian Davis of Hendersonville, Tenn., said he also feels comfortable on a plane in a post-9/11 world. After the attacks, he was back aboard a plane within a month he said.
“I feel just as safe today as I did then, if not safer,” he said. He doesn’t mind waiting through TSA lines and being subjected to extra security protocols. “If that’s what we need to keep us safe, so be it.”
Consultant: We ‘think’ we’re safer
“The world thinks we’re a lot safer,” Mike Boyd, president of the Colorado-based aviation consulting firm Boyd Group International, said before adding that he isn’t convinced that air security has improved that greatly since 9/11.
Boyd said he thinks the TSA mostly bolsters security in response to attacks that have already happened, such as tightening security at checkpoints and requiring stronger cockpit doors.
Boyd said he would like to see the agency think ahead more, to anticipate the kinds of attacks that could happen in the future. He said new technology and modern strategies could lead to new kinds of attacks, pointing to recent ransomware attacks as an indication of how the threat environment is changing.
He claimed the current security measures wouldn’t be able to prevent such potential threats.
Kosatka said his faith in the TSA has increased over the past 20 years, though he said he thinks there are still “vulnerabilities” when it comes to airline and airport security.
“TSA is not bad anymore, but still has its weak spots,” he said. “We’re definitely better. People should be more comfortable.”
Brit traveler: Security tighter abroad
Jeremy Jeffries landed at Pittsburgh International Airport for a business trip Thursday. While he said he feels fairly safe flying, he said he believes airport security measures in America aren’t up to par with those in his native England.
“When you come to America, they’re like, ‘We don’t want to intimidate anybody or step on their civil rights,’” he said. “That’s foolish when you have hundreds of lives to protect.”
Jeffries said he travels a good amount for business. In other countries, he said, security measures are more intimidating. They might include semi-automatic weapons and guard dog patrols. While he acknowledged such measures may not sit well with some American travelers, Jeffries said he likes it.
“I think that would put off a terrorist,” he said.
Traveling in America is inconsistent, he said.
He has set off an alarm at one airport and not another while wearing the same clothes, he said, a sign that some machines are more sensitive than others. Throughout his travels, he said, he’s noticed that just because a security protocol is in place at one airport doesn’t mean he can expect to see something similar at the next.
Nonetheless, Jeffries said he doesn’t necessarily feel unsafe traveling in the United States.
He said he was more concerned about covid-19 than security. The fact there hasn’t been another 9/11-style attack in 20 years is an indication that, despite its imperfections, the TSA is doing its job, Jeffries said.
“It’s very inconsistent, but obviously it’s working,” he said.
Staff writer Megan Guza contributed. Julia Felton is a Tribune-Review staff writer. She can be reached at jfelton@triblive.com.
Julia Felton is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Julia at 724-226-7724, jfelton@triblive.com or via Twitter .
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