Airport worker triggers shutdown Tuesday, September 12, 2006=20 BY RON MARSICO Star-Ledger Staff=20 Exactly five years after terrorists got past security at Newark Liberty Int= ernational Airport, authorities shut down a section of Terminal C yesterday= morning when a Continental Airlines employee allowed a relative to bypass = a checkpoint, officials said.=20 The incident began at about 7:40 a.m. when the worker, Guiseppe Gervasio, u= sed his airport identification swipe card to open an access door to bring h= is brother-in-law to a secure gate area, authorities said. The relative the= n tried to board a flight without a boarding pass, but was stopped by a gat= e agent, authorities said.=20 Port Authority police immediately confiscated Gervasio's ID card, said Marc= La Vorgna, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, = which operates the airport.=20 "It's the most aggressive step we can take," he said.=20 The breach came on the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, wh= en terrorists gained access to four commercial planes by passing through se= curity checkpoints at three airports, including Newark. United Airlines Fli= ght 93, en route from Newark to San Francisco, crashed into a field in Shan= ksville, Pa., after passengers tried to retake the plane from terrorists.= =20 Ann Davis, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Transportation Security Administratio= n, said yesterday's breach delayed eight departing Continental flights afte= r authorities closed part of the terminal at about 9:20 a.m.=20 Police and bomb-sniffing dogs made a sweep of the area, which was reopened = at 10:15 a.m., she said.=20 After bypassing security, Gervasio's brother-in-law, who was not identified= , tried to get onto a flight to Orlando, Fla., without a boarding pass, Dav= is said.=20 He then "admitted to the gate agent that a relative worked for Continental = and escorted him through a Terminal C access door, thereby circumventing th= e screening process," Davis said. The gate agent immediately notified autho= rities, she said.=20 "Every airport and airline employee plays a critical role in maintaining th= e security of the airport and upholding the regulations designed to prevent= another catastrophic event," Davis said. "Helping a traveler circumvent se= curity, on the fifth anniversary of 9/11 of all days, not only violates fed= eral security directives, but brazenly disregards the innumerable strides T= SA and its airport and airline partners have made in the last five years."= =20 Davis said Continental faces possible disciplinary action because of the br= each.=20 She described Gervasio as a "load planner," who is responsible for ensuring= that weight is properly distributed on an aircraft before takeoff. The Por= t Authority took no action against Gervasio's brother-in-law.=20 David Messing, a Continental spokesman, said the airline is investigating t= he incident. He did not release any additional information about Gervasio, = including how long he has worked for the airline.=20 "We have strict procedures that our employees must adhere to," said Messing= .=20 Gervasio faces possible disciplinary action "based on the outcome of our in= vestigation," he said.=20 Ron Marsico covers aviation security. He may be reached at rmarsico@starled= ger.com or (973) 392-7860.=20 =C2=A9 2006 The Star Ledger =C2=A9 2006 NJ.com All Rights Reserved. =20 =20 View our videos at: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=3Dewrw4co =20 Roger & Amanda La France