Tuesday May 14, 2:47 pm Eastern Time Press Release SOURCE: Allied Pilots Association Allied Pilots Association Critical of Transportation Security Administration Union Calls for "Common-Sense Approach" to Security Screening of Airline Crews Following Pilot Arrest At Screening Checkpoint FORT WORTH, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 14, 2002-- The Allied Pilots Association (APA), collective bargaining agent for the 11,500 pilots of American Airlines and 2,300 pilots of TWA LLC (AMR: NYSE), is seeking swift reforms to the security screening process for airline crewmembers in the wake of the arrest of an American Airlines Captain in Hawaii late last week. "While we are still gathering information about the alleged altercation involving one of our pilots, it is clear that the security screening process is broken from the standpoint of our crewmembers," said Captain John Darrah, APA President. "We are calling upon the Transportation Security Administration to put the introduction of smart-card technology on a fast track for our air crews. By providing smart cards to our crewmembers, the TSA would be freed up to devote greater scrutiny to legitimate threats." According to Darrah, APA has received an abundance of feedback from its pilots of numerous incidents where screeners appear to be singling out pilots. "It is insulting for pilots to be treated like criminals in full view of the traveling public," he said. "As the in-flight security coordinator, our pilots play a pivotal role in helping to ensure safe transportation for the traveling public." Darrah further called for the TSA to view pilots as an asset in the quest for a more secure air travel system. "When you stop to consider that pilots are entrusted with the lives of hundreds of passengers and an aircraft worth tens of millions of dollars, you begin to realize the absurdity of treating pilots as part of the security problem, rather than a fundamental part of the solution. "It's past time to take a common-sense approach to security screening, rather than one characterized by inaction and political correctness," he said. Darrah acknowledged that passengers are also experiencing significant frustration during the screening process, but pointed out a key difference for pilots. "When a passenger gets frustrated, they have perhaps a couple of hours during their flight to relax and forget about it. When a pilot has a similar experience, that pilot must put the event out of their mind before getting into the cockpit. It's a distraction that nobody needs." Founded in 1963, APA is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx