Posted at 10:39 a.m., Monday, December 9, 2002
Airports ease security rules imposed after 9/11
By Leslie Miller
Associated Press
The prohibition on parking within 300 feet of a terminal was imposed after the Sept. 11 attacks to protect against bombs in vehicles. The ban will be lifted as long as the terrorist threat remains at or below code yellow, the middle of a five-point scale of risk developed after the attacks, said Robert Johnson, spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration.
The 300-foot rule will be reimposed if the threat level rises to orange or red, he said.
Airports also must draw up plans outlining how they would deal with the threat of an explosion, Johnson said.
Federal officials also will be changing the way air travelers are screened after they pass through security checkpoints.
Rather than checking some passengers at every gate, only travelers at randomly selected gates will be subjected to searches.
"We're going to reduce the hassle-factor by reducing the amount of gate screening we're doing," Deputy Transportation Secretary Michael Jackson said.
TSA chief James Loy announced the changes at a conference today.
New layers of airport security allow the rules to be eased, Johnson said. He cited a better-trained federal screener work force, federal air marshals, background checks of people who work beyond airport security checkpoints and screening of checked baggage at 252 airports.
