International

No more VIP queues at U.S. airports

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

Washington FEB. 21. In yet another step to tighten security for travelling air passengers, the U.S. Government has told airlines that they should shut down special lines to get through security check points for most valued customers at airports.

The Transportation Security Administration told major carriers on Wednesday that the practice of allowing frequent fliers, business and first class passengers to get through security checkpoints to avoid lengthy delays had to end. "One of the policy changes we have made is to have no special lines at checkpoints. We need to be able to take care of all passengers and we need to have a standard way of dealing with security," the spokesman for the federal agency said.

The latest instruction from the Federal Government has to be seen in the context of an overhaul of procedures at most of the airports in this country in the aftermath of the September 11 terror attacks. Airlines were forced to bring in bomb detection equipment to inspect checked baggage. Screeners from private agencies in airports are slowly being replaced by federal employees. Officials say with airport security now coming under the domain of federal agencies, the procedures need to be equitable; and an argument has been made that some of these "VIP" lines for security did, in fact, raise questions of fairness. But the major carriers who have suffered huge losses since the September 11 terror attacks argue that they have to attract and sustain their valued customers.

These days it is not uncommon to see long lines at most airports, even for shuttle flights. And with summer around the corner, the lines and delays are expected to get longer given the volume of passenger traffic.

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