The September 11th attack
National Guard begins airport patrols
By Scott Ishikawa
Advertiser Transportation Writer
Starting today, the Hawai'i National Guard will be patrolling Honolulu International Airport, but officials there say the enhanced security won't cause further passenger delays.
Federal, state and civilian law enforcement officers will be on hand at the airport in "battalion strength," said Allen Agor, a Federal Aviation Administration security manager based at the airport.
National Guard troops will be stationed at Neighbor Island airports starting Thursday.
The troops, who also conducted patrols at the airport in the days immediately following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, will be posted at airports for four to six months, until new federal security standards are in place, Agor said.
"The National Guard is there to provide a visible security presence to help passengers feel safe," Agor said. "This will be a 24-7 operation."
Gov. Ben Cayetano last week activated 145 Guard members in response to President Bush's request that states use them for airport security.
Guard troops on O'ahu have gone through four days of training on airport security procedures in preparation for their new duty.
Stationed curbside at the terminals and near baggage and passenger-screening areas, they will back up police and security guards in emergencies.
Agor said the strengthened security presence will not increase the time needed to check in for flights.
Because of stricter security regulations, departing passengers already need at least three hours to check in before international and domestic flights and 90 minutes for interisland flights.
"It basically provides another set of eyes looking for any suspicious activity," Agor said.
Agor also said thousands of applications have been received for the FAA's air marshal program. Air marshals respond to criminal incidents aboard U.S. air carriers and are authorized to carry firearms and make arrests.
Sky marshals are already on U.S.-based airliners that provide overseas service to Hawai'i, but not on interisland flights.
The FAA has increased the maximum age for air marshal applicants from 37 to 40. "We wanted to wanted to widen the applicant pool to accommodate veterans in the law enforcement field," said FAA spokeswoman Tweet Coleman.
Air marshal applications can be filled out online at jobs.faa.gov or sent by mail. For fax instructions, call FAA program assistant Eva Hurgo at 541-1238.
Reach Scott Ishikawa at sishikawa@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8070.
